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THE  HOUSE: 


A  MANUAL 


OF 


Jural  %  x  t  \  x  1 1  c  i  w  x  t : 


OR,  HOW  TO  BUILD 


COUNTRY  HOUSES  AND  OUT-BUILDINGS ; 


EMBRACING 


THE  ORIGIN  AND  MEANING  OF  THE  HOUSE*,  THE  ART  OF  HOUSE-BUILDING,  INOLUIV 
ING  PLANNING,  STYLE  AND  CONSTRUCTION;  DE8IGN8  AND  DESCRIPTIONS  OF 
COTTAGES,  FARM-HOUSES,  VILLAS  AND  OUT- BUILDING8,  OF  VARIOU8  COST 
AND  IN  THE  DIFFERENT  STYLES  OF  ARCHITECTURE,  ETC.,  ETC.  J  AND 
AN  APPENDIX,  CONTAINING  RECIPES  FOR  PAINTS  AND  WASHES, 

STUCCO,  ROUGH-CAST,  ETC.;  AND  INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  ROOFING, 

BUILDING  WITH  ROUGH  8TONE,  UNBURNT  BRICK,  BALLOON 
FBAME8,  AND  THE  OONCRETE  OR  GRAVEL  WALL. 


By  D.  II.  JACQUES, 


AurnoB  of  “The  Garden,”  uThh  Farm,”  “Domestic  Animals,”  u  How  t* 
Do  Business,”  “How  to  Write,”  “How  to  Talk,”  eto. 


UalU  oomniOQ  sense  finds  IU  way  into  architecture,  there  can  be  little  hope  for  It. — Roikh. 


REVIS  ED  E  D  I  T  I  O  IT. 


NEW  YORK : 

EXCELSIOR  PUBLISHING  HOUSE, 

29  and  31  Beekman  Street. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1804,  by 
D.  H.  JACQUES, 

la  the  Cterk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  thfe 
Southern  District  of  New  York. 


HEW  YORK  : 

MUSSELL  BROTHERS,  PRINTER* 

a,  is,  ai,  as  rose  bt. 


PREFACE 


Ik  this  country  everybody  builds  a  house — perhaps  several  of 
them.  Everybody,  then,  should  know  something  about  domestic 
architecture,  in  order  to  build  to  the  best  advantage— to  secure 
the  largest  amount  of  convenience,  comfort,  and  beauty  in  his 
dwelling  which  his  means  and  materials  will  permit.  It  has  been 
our  object,  in  the  preparation  of  this  manual,  to  promote  the  dif¬ 
fusion  of  this  needed  knowledge  among  the  people. 

The  works  of  the  lamented  Downing,  with  all  their  acknowl¬ 
edged  imperfections,  have  done  much  to  enlighten  the  under¬ 
standings  and  improve  the  tastes  of  our  people  on  this  subject. 
Much  of  the  improvement  which  has  taken  place  in  the  rural 
architecture  of  this  country,  within  the  last  fifteen  years,  is  due 
to  their  influence.  But  their  size  and  cost  have  been  a  bar  to 
their  circulation,  and  confined  their  direct  action  upon  the  publio 
mind  within  a  comparatively  narrow  circle.  The  same  remark 
will  apply  with  more  or  less  force  to  the  excellent  works  of  Cal¬ 
vert  Yaux,  Wheeler,  Cleveland  and  Backus  Brothers,  and  other 
recent  architectural  writers. 

We  have  aimed  here  at  a  wider,  if  not  a  stronger,  influence. 
We  have  condensed  into  this  little  volume  all  that  the  great  ma¬ 
jority  of  readers  will  care  to  find  in  it,  and  all  that  they  are  pre¬ 
pared  to  appreciate  and  profit  by ;  and  have  placed  the  whole 
within  the  reach  of  every  man  in  America  who  will  ever  have 
occasion  to  erect  a  house,  a  barn,  a  stable,  or  a  piggery,  by  placing 
it  at  a  price  which  no  one  will  be  too  poor  to  pay.  We  aim,  by 
these  means,  at  a  universal  circulation  and  almost  unlimited 
usefulness. 


VI 


Preface 


The  plan  and  execution  of  our  work  will  speak  for  themselves 
We  are  fully  aware  of  its  imperfections,  hut  hope  a  generous  pub¬ 
lic  will  not  allow  them  to  blind  their  eyes  to  the  merits  which  it 
will,  we  trust,  he  acknowledged  to  possess.  We  leave  it,  with 
full  confidence,  in  their  hands. 


CONTENTS 


I.— ORIGIN  AND  MEANING  OF  THE  HOUSE. 

The  Wigwam  and  the  Tent — The  Hut  of  the  African— Origin  of  the  Tent— The 
Ancient  Log  Cabin — Hall  of  the  Saxon  Thegne — How  it  was  Constructed — 
Norman  Novelties — Origin  of  Chimneys  and  Glass  Windows— The  Castle, 
etc. — Significance  of  the  House— Meaning  of  the  Various  Styles— Expression 
of  Individual  Character. . Page  9 

n. — HOUSE-BUILDING. 

Fundamental  Principles— Fitness  or  Utility — Expression  of  Purpose — Expres¬ 
sion  of  Beauty — Considerations  Influencing  Choice  of  Site— Healthfulness— 
Convenience  of  Access— Suitableness  of  Ground — Altitude — Aspect— Trees, 
etc. — Adoption  of  a  Plan — Importance  of  having  a  Matured  Plan — Adapta¬ 
tion  of  Plan  to  Site — Pecuniary  Means  as  Influencing  a  Plan— Wants  and 
Tastes  of  the  Family  to  be  Considered— General  Form — Economical  View — 
The  Circle  and  the  Octagon — Square  Houses— Advantages  of  Irregularity — 
Aspect  of  Rooms — Arrangement  of  Rooms — Labor-Saving — Convenience — 
Comfort — Provision  for  Guests— Using  the  Best  Rooms  Recommended — 
Sleeping  Apartments— Bath-Room — Pantries,  Closets,  Passages,  etc. — Chim¬ 
neys  and  Stairs — Style  of  Architecture — Should  be  the  Natural  Outgrowth  o( 
the  Character,  Institutions,  etc.,  of  a  People- -No  American  Style  yet  Origi¬ 
nated  -  Reasons  Why — Promise  of  the  Future— Classification  of  Styles  -  Cir¬ 
cumstances  which  should  Guide  in  the  Choice  of  a  Style— Climate  as  Influ¬ 
encing  Architectural  Style— Southern  and  Northern  Houses  Contrasted— Sit¬ 
uation  to  be  Considered— Plan  and  Size- Materials  in  their  Relation  to  Style 
—A  Hint  in  reference  to  Local  Truth— Materials— Wood— Stone — Brick- 
Concrete— Miscellaneous  Details— Cellars — Chimneys — Modes  of  Warming 
Houses  —  The  open  Fire-place— Grates— Stoves — Hot-Air  Furnaces,  etc. — 
Ventilation— Exterior  Color,  Interior  Color,  Wall  Paper,  etc. — Roofing — 
Stucco— Rough-Cast— Drainage— Trees,  Vines,  etc. —  Errors  and  Absurd¬ 
ities . . .  ...  14 


HI.— COTTAGES  OF  ONE  STORY. 

Preliminary  Remarks — A  Log  Cabin — A  Hexagon  Plan — Plan  for  Three  Room* 
etc. — A  Southern  Cottage — Another  Cheap  Cottage  Plan — Plan  for  Additions 
— An  Extempore  House — Estimates— Verandas — Plans — The  Scale — Doors, 
etc. — Rats  in  Cellars— Outside  Painting— Bath-Rooms .  46 


viii  Contents. 

IV. — STORY- AND- A-HALF  COTTAGES. 

Preliminary  Remarks — Plans  for  a  Small  Cottage — An  Italian  Cottage— Aa 
English  Cottage  Plan — Building  for  Show — A  Suburban  Cottage — A  QothU 
Cottage — Attic  Rooms — Architectural  Pinery — A  New  Method  of  Ventila¬ 
tion-Cedar  Closets— A  Symmetrical  Cottage— A  Semi-Southern  Cottage — 
Sinks — Chimneys— Speaking  Tubes — Beauty  and  Economy . Page  67 

V.— HOUSES  OF  TWO  STORIES. 

A  Gothic  Cottage— A  Country  Parsonage — “  Pruitland”  Cottage— Mr.  Mann’ 
Octagon  Plan — A  Southern  House— A  Square  Cottage— A  Stone  Country 
House— Cement  for  Stopping  J®ints— A  Circular  House — Ornamental  Roofs 
—A  Swiss  Cottage— Importance  of  Arrangement— A  Doable  Cottage  ...  73 

VI.—  FARM-HOUSES. 

What  a  Farm-House  Should  be— Mr.  Graef’a  Farm-House — A  Farm-House 
Plan . . . . .  99 


VII.— VILLAS. 

What  is  a  Villa?  Downing’s  Definition — What  it  Should  be — A  small  Villa  In 
the  Italian  Style — A  Brick  Villa — A  Gothic  Villa — A  Picturesque  Villa — A 
Southern  Villa — An  Octagon  Villa .  195 

VIII.— BARNS,  AND  OTHER  OUT-BUILDINGS. 

Preliminary  Remarks — Lewis  F.  Allen’s  Bam — Mr.  Chamberlain’s  Octagon 
Barn — Shelter  Cheaper  than  Fodder — Elevators  in  Baras — Mr.  Beckwith’s 
Octagon  Bara — A  Circular  Barn — A  Side-Hill  Barn — Stables — An  Octagon 
Poultry-House — A  Piggery — An  Ashery  and  Smoke-House — An  Ice-Honse 
—An  Apiary— A  Play-House— A  Rustic  Garden-House . . . 129 

IX.— CHURCHES  AND  SCHOOL-HOUSES. 

A  Village  Church — A  Choice  of  Elevations — A  School-House — Remarks..  158 

APPENDIX. 

Building  with  Rough  Stones— Hollow  Walls— Building  with  TTnbumt  Brick- 
Dr.  Buchanan  on  Cellars — Recipes  for  Paints,  etc. — Roofing — Concrete  or 
Gravel  Walls— Specifications — Balloon  Frames — How  to  Build  Cisterns — A 
Cheap  Iee-Rooin. . . . . .  16* 


THE  HOUSE 


i. 

ORIGIN  AND  MEANING  OP  THE  HOUSE. 

Much  of  the  character  of  every  man  may  be  read  in  his  house. — Downing. 

I.— THE  WIGWAM  AND  THE  TENT. 

5  “  the  groves  were  God’s  first  tem¬ 
ples,”  so,  undoubtedly,  were  they 
the  earliest  dwellings  of  man.  The 
dense  foliage  of  the  trees  afforded 
protection  against  the  too  fervid 
rays  of  the  noonday  sun,  and  their 
hollow  trunks,  and  the  caves  among 
the  rocks  which  they  overhung, 
served  as  a  shelter  from  the  fury  of 
the  storm.  By  twining  together 
the  tops  of  saplings  growing  near 
each  other,  and  filling  in  the  spa¬ 
ces  between  them  with  branches 
broken  from  other  trees,  arbors  or  bough-houses  were  readily 
constructed.  These,  in  the  Eden-like  climates  of  the  East, 
where  the  race  is  supposed  to  have  originated,  probably  sat¬ 
isfied  the  wants  of  the  men  of  the  first  ages. 

At  a  later  day,  and  in  a  less  genial  climate,  dwellings  were 
constructed  by  cutting  down  trees  and  placing  them,  in  a  circu¬ 
lar  form,  with  their  tops  leaning  against  each  other  and  fasten¬ 
ing  them  together,  branches  being  interwoven  and  the  inter¬ 
stices  filled  with  clay.  Of  this  description  is  the  wigwam  of 

1* 


JO 


The  House. 


tlie  North  American  savage.  In  other  cases  a  frame-work  of 
poles  was  covered  with  strips  of  bark  or  skins  of  animals.  The 
dome-like  mud  huts  of  some  of  the  African  tribes,  with  holes 
two  or  three  feet  high  for  doors,  through  which  one  must  enter 
“on  all-fours,”  advance  in  point  of  architecture  one  step  further. 

Out  of  the  necessities  of  a  pastoral  life  grew  the  invention  of 
tents,  which  were  at  first  made  of  the  skins  of  animals  and  af¬ 
terward  of  felt  and  various  kinds  of  cloth.  On  each  green  and 
chosen  spot  these  portable  habitations  could  be  spread  in  a 
moment,  and  as  readily  removed.  Even  at  the  present  day, 

The  Arab  band. 

Across  the  sand, 

Still  bear  their  dwellings  light, 

And  ’neath  the  skies 
Their  tents  arise, 

Like  spirits  of  the  night 


II.— THE  LOG  CABIN. 

The  inventor  of  the  rectangular  log-house  should  have  been 
immortalized ;  but,  alas!  he  is  unknown,  and  the  date  of  the 


hrst  dwelling  of  this  kind  is  nowhere  recorded.  However 
long  ago  that  event  may  have  occurred,  the  foundations  of  the 


Origin  and  Meaning- 


11 


art  of  domestic  architecture  were  then  securely  established. 
The  first  oblong  house,  covered  by  a  sloping  roof,  whether  its 
walls  were  constructed  of  logs  placed  horizontally  one  above  the 
other,  in  the  American  backwoods  style,  or  of  upright  posts,  as 
shown  in  the  foregoing  engraving,  contained  the  germ  of  the 
cottage,  the  mansion,  and  the  villa  of  to-day. 

III.— THE  SAXON  HALL. 

Speaking  of  the  Saxons,  Turner,  in  his  “Early  History  of 
Domestic  Architecture  in  England,”  says : 

“  Without  mechanical  skill  to  work  the  quarries  made  by 
the  Romans,  and  while  the  habitations  of  the  mass  of  the  peo¬ 
ple  were  mud  or  wooden  huts  of  one  room  only,  in  the  middle 
of  which  the  fire  was  kindled,  the  Saxon  thegne  built  his  hall 
from  the  woods  of  his  demesne  by  the  labor  of  his  bondsmen. 
It  was  thatched  with  straw  or  reeds  or  roofed  with  wooden 
shingles.  Its  plan  was  little  more  than  its  name  implied — a  ca¬ 
pacious  apartment,  which  in  the  daytime  was  adapted  to  the 
patriarchal  hospitality  of  the  owner,  and  formed  at  night  a  sort 
of  stable  for  his  servants,  to  whose  rude  accommodation  their 
master’s  was  not  much  superior  in  an  adjoining  chamber.  The 
fire  was  kindled  in  the  center  of  the  hall,  the  smoke  making 
its  way  out  through  an  opening  in  the  roof  immediately  above 
the  hearth,  or  by  the  door,  windows,  and  eaves  of  thatch. 
The  lord  and  his  ‘hearthmen’  —  a  significant  appellation 
given  to  his  most  familiar  retainers — sat  by  the  same  fire  at 
which  their  repast  was  cooked,  and  at  night  retired  to  share 
the  same  dormitory,  which  served  them  also  as  a  council 
chamber.” 

The  Normans  introduced  little  change  in  the  general  plans 
of  dwellings,  the  chief  room  and  single  bedchamber  still  pre¬ 
vailing,  even  in  regal  residences.  It  was  in  details  chiefly  that 
architectural  novelties  betokened  French  influence.  Chimneys 
were  generally  unknown  till  the  fifteenth  century,  although  a 
few  examples  occur  earlier.  Shutters  and  canvas,  instead  of 
glazed  windows,  continued  in  general  use  in  dwelling-houses 


12 


The  H  OUSE. 


to  the  reigu  of  Henry  III.,  notwithstanding  painted  glass  foi 
church  windows  was  not  uncommon  in  the  twelfth  century. 

Of  the  castles,  monasteries,  and  moated  granges  of  a  later 
day  it  is  not  necessary  to  speak.  Their  general  forms  are 
made  familiar  to  all  by  means  of  pictures  and  engravings  of 
all  descriptions,  scattered  through  our  picture-galleries  and 
books.  The  manor-house  and  the  villa  of  the  sixteenth  and 
seventeenth  centuries  form  the  basis  of  many  a  modern  design. 

IV— SIGNIFICANCE  OF  THE  HOUSE. 

We  have  hinted  at,  rather  than  described,  some  of  the  changes 
through  which  the  dwelling-house  has  reached  its  present  ex¬ 
ternal  form  and  internal  arrangement ;  but  our  brief  statement 
will  serve  to  indicate  the  fact,  that  each  change  has  resulted 
from  a  corresponding  change  in  the  habits,  wants,  and  tastej 
of  the  builder.  The  house  of  each  epoch  forms  a  chapter  in 
the  world’s  history.  In  the  wigwam  of  the  savage  we  recog¬ 
nize  an  expression  of  the  rude  life  of  the  forest-born  hunter, 
lacking  the  refinement  which  would  require,  as  well  as  the 
skill  which  might  provide,  anything  beyond  a  mere  shelter. 
The  tents  of  the  nomadic  tribes  are  not  less  significant  of 
their  habits  and  modes  of  existence — 

While  on  from  plain  to  plain  they  led  their  flocks, 

In  search  of  clearer  spring  and  fresher  field. 

So  have  the  log  cabin,  the  hall  of  the  Saxon  thegne ,  the  feu¬ 
dal  castle,  the  monastery,  the  grange,  the  manor-house,  the  cot¬ 
tage,  and  the  villa,  their  readily  comprehended  meanings. 
Each  was  called  into  existence  by  the  exigences  of  the  social 
period  to  which  it  belongs,  and  reveals  the  principal  features  in 
the  life  of  its  first  inhabitants. 

“  The  different  styles  of  domestic  architecture,”  as  Downing 
truly  remarks,  “the  Roman,  the  Italian,  the  Swiss,  the  Vene¬ 
tian,  the  Rural  Gothic,  are  nothing  more  than  expressions  of 
national  character  which  have,  through  long  use,  become  per¬ 
manent.  Thus  the  gay  and  sunny  temperament  of  the  south  of 


Okigin  and  Meaning. 


13 


Europe  is  well  expressed  in  the  light  balconies,  the  grouped 
windows,  the  open  arcades,  and  the  statue  and  vase  bordered 
terraces  of  the  Venetian  and  Italian  villas;  the  homely  yet 
strong  and  quaint  character  of  the  Swiss  in  their  broad-roofed, 
half  rude,  and  curiously  constructed  cottages ;  the  domestic 
virtues  and  the  love  of  rural  beauty  and  seclusion  can  not 
possibly  be  better  expressed  than  in  the  English  cottage,  with 
its  many  upward  pointing  gables,  its  intricate  tracery,  its  spa¬ 
cious  bay  windows,  and  its  walls  covered  with  vines  and 
flowering  shrubs.” 

Domestic  architecture  is  not  only  capable  of  expressing  the 
characters  and  customs  of  nations  and  epochs ;  individual  di¬ 
versities  of  opinion,  feeling,  taste,  and  modes  of  life  may  be 
and  are  also  clearly  embodied  in  the  human  dwelling.  Mere 
utilitarianism  expresses  itself  in  a  square  or  oblong  box-like 
house,  with  walls  and  roof  built  only  to  defend  the  inmates 
against  cold  and  heat;  windows  intended  for  nothing  but  to 
admit  the  light  and  exclude  the  air;  and  chimneys  constructed 
only  to  carry  off  the  smoke.  A  love  of  ornament  and  show, 
unguided  by  either  sound  judgment  or  cultivated  taste,  give  us 
all  sorts  of  absurd  and  incongruous  combinations  of  styles ; 
build  cottages  in  the  form  of  villas  and  villas  like  castles  of  the 
middle  ages ;  and  set  all  the  laws  of  fitness  and  order  at  defi¬ 
ance.  Good  sense,  a  true  love  of  the  beautiful,  refinement,  cul¬ 
ture,  and  domestic  habits  are  equally  sure,  under  favorable  cir¬ 
cumstances,  to  make  their  impress  upon  the  walls  of  the  dwelling- 
house.  Hospitality  smiles  in  ample  parlors;  home  virtues 
dwell  in  cosy  fireside  family  rooms ;  intellectuality  is  seen  in 
well-stocked  libraries,  and  a  dignified  love  of  leisure  and  repose 
in  cool  and  spacious  verandas. 

Much  of  the  character  of  every  man,  it  is  truly  said,  may  be 
read  in  his  house.  If  he  has  molded  it-;  leading  features  from 
the  foundation,  it  will  give  a  clew  to  a  large  part  of  his  charac¬ 
ter.  If  he  has  taken  it  from  the  hands  of  another,  it  will,  in  its 
internal  details  and  use,  show  at  a  glance  something  of  the  daily 
thoughts  and  life  of  the  family  that  inhabits  it. 


14 


The  House. 


II. 

HOUSE-BUILDING. 

He  who  Improves  the  dwellings  of  a  people,  in  relation  to  their  comforts,  habits,  and  morals, 
makes  a  benignant  and  lasting  reform  at  the  very  foundations  of  society. — Village  and  Farm 
OaUwjes. 

I— FUNDAMENTAL  PRINCIPLES. 

AVEsTG  traced  the  dwelling-house  to  its 
origin,  and  pointed  out  the  significance  of 
its  various  forms,  we  shall  now,  before 
presenting  the  designs  and  descriptions 
which  form  the  main  body  of  our  work, 
proceed  to  lay  before  the  reader  a  few 
practical  hints  and  suggestions  on  the 
general  subject  of  house-building.  These 
hints  and  suggestions  will  necessarily  be 
briefly  expressed ;  but  their  importance 
must  not  be  measured  by  the  space  they 
occupy. 

We  have  little  to  do  here  with  the 
theory  of  architecture ;  but  there  are  two 
or  three  fundamental  principles  involved  in  house-building 
which  we  wish,  at  the  outset,  distinctly  to  impress  upon  the 
reader’s  mind. 

1.  Adaptation  to  Use.— In  erecting  a  building  of  any  kind, 
the  first  thing  to  be  considered,  and  the  last  to  be  lost  sight  oij 
is  the  me  to  which  it  is  to  be  appropriated.  Adaptation  to  this 
use  must  not  be  sacrificed  to  anything  else.  The  plan  and  con¬ 
struction  of  a  dwelling-house,  for  instance,  must  be  quite  dif¬ 
ferent  from  those  of  a  church  edifice  or  a  barn ;  because  its  pur¬ 
pose  and  uses  are  different.  For  the  same  reason,  a  country 
residence  should  not  resemble  a  city  dwelling,  and  a  farm- 


House- Building. 


15 


house  should  be  unlike  the  cottage  of  the  mechanic.  And  the 
law  of  fitness  applies  to  all  the  details  of  a  house  as  well  as  to 
its  general  form.  It  should  be  our  guide  in  the  arrangement 
of  rooms;  in  the  disposition  of  doors,  windows,  stairs,  and 
chimneys ;  and  in  the  provisions  made  for  warming  and  venti¬ 
lation.  Adaptation  to  climate,  situation,  and  the  condition  and 
means  of  the  proprietor  falls  under  the  same  head.  Let  it  be 
remembered,  then,  that  this  principle  of  fitness ,  or  adaptation 
to  use,  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  satisfactory  house-building. 
It  will  be  more  fully  illustrated  as  we  proceed. 

2.  Expression  of  Purpose. — But  it  is  not  enough  that  a  build¬ 
ing  be  planned  with  strict  reference  to  the  uses  to  which  it  is 
to  be  devoted.  Truthfulness,  which  should  run  through  all  our 
works,  as  well  as  our  words,  demands  that  its  purpose  shall  be 
expressed  in  its  construction— that  a  church,  for  instance,  shall 
not  require  a  label  to  inform  us  of  its  ecclesiastic  character,  and 
that  a  dwelling-house  shall  be  known  as  such  at  a  glance.  This 
principle,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  is  frequently  violated. 
Church  edifices  are  made  to  look  like  barns,  dwelling-houses 
are  built  on  the  model  of  a  Grecian  temple,  and  we  sometimes 
see  stables  which  may  be  mistaken,  at  the  first  glance,  for  farm 
cottages. 

“  The  prominent  features  conveying  expression  of  purpose  in 
dwelling-houses,”  Downing  says,  “  are  the  chimneys,  the  win¬ 
dows,  and  the  porch,  veranda,  or  piazza;  and  for  this  reason, 
whenever  it  is  desired  to  raise  the  character  of  a  cottage  or  a 
villa  above  mediocrity,  attention  should  be  first  bestowed  on 
those  portions  of  the  building.”  Loudon  says:  “In  every 
human  habitation  the  chimney-tops  should  be  conspicuous  ob¬ 
jects,  because  they  are  its  essential  characteristics.  They  dis¬ 
tinguish  apartments  destined  for  human  beings  from  those  de¬ 
signed  for  lodging  cattle.”  First,  then,  build  fitting  habitations 
for  yourself  and  family ;  and,  second,  let  this  fitness  be  clearly 
expressed  in  their  external  features. 

3.  Manifestation  of  Beauty. —  A  house  may  be  strictly 
adapted  to  its  uses  and  clearly  express  its  purpose,  and  yet  be  a 


16 


The  House. 


very  unsatisfactory  dwelling  for  a  person  of  taste  and  culture, 
and  a  perpetual  blemish  in  the  landscape.  It  may  have  com- 
fortable  rooms,  well  distributed  in  relation  to  each  other  and 
their  uses ;  windows,  doors,  chimneys,  etc.,  of  the  proper  size 
and  in  their  proper  places ;  and  air,  water,  and  warmth  well 
provided  for,  and  yet  make  a  very  unsatisfactory  impression. 
The  sentiment  of  beauty  may  find  no  expression  in  it.  The 
windows  may  be  mere  holes  in  the  wall,  closed  by  glazed  sashes, 
and  the  chimneys  unsightly  heaps  of  brick.  This  lack  of  all 
sentiment — this  devotion  to  mere  literal  utility — is  too  frequent¬ 
ly  displayed  in  rural  house-building  in  this  country.  It  will 
disappear  as  taste  and  culture  advance,  and  the  love  of  the 
beautiful,  inherent  in  every  man  and  woman,  is  called  out  and 
developed.  Let  the  reader  bear  in  mind,  then,  the  fact,  that 
every  house,  however  humble,  should  and  may  be  character¬ 
ized  by  these  three  qualities — 

1.  Adaptation  to  Use; 

2.  Expression  of  Purpose ;  and, 

3.  Manifestation  of  Beauty. 

II.— CHOICE  OF  A  SITE. 

In  selecting  a  site  for  a  country  house,  many  circumstances 
should  be  taken  into  consideration.  First  among  these,  in 
point  of  importance,  is 

1.  Healthfulness. — No  combination  of  advantages  can  com¬ 
pensate  the  lack  of  a  salubrious  atmosphere.  Such  a  defect, 
unless  its  causes  come  clearly  within  the  purchaser’s  control, 
should  be  considered  fatal.  The  vicinity  of  stagnant  swamps 
and  marshes ;  the  borders  of  sluggish  streams ;  and  all  situa¬ 
tions  where  the  soil  is  too  retentive  of  moisture  and  can  not  be 
easily  and  thoroughly  drained,  should  be  carefully  avoided. 
A  house  in  such  a  situation  is  no  less  uncomfortable  than  un¬ 
healthful,  being  continually  damp  and  chilly. 

Elevated  grounds  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  extensive 
swamps  and  marshes,  especially  if  in  the  direction  of  prevaft- 
ing  winds,  are  liable  to  be  quite  as  much  affected  by  the  mala- 


House-Building.  17 

rious  air  as  the  low  grounds  themselves,  and  should  be  shunned 
for  the  same  reason. 

Bext  in  importance  to  good  air  is  pure  water ;  and  one  should 
never  adopt  a  site  for  a  dwelling-house  without  having  satisfied 
himself  that  an  abundant  supply  of  this  essential  element  can 
be  readily  procured.  The  importance  of  this  point,  in  its  bear¬ 
ings  upon  health  and  comfort,  are  sadly  underrated  by  the  great 
majority  of  our  people.  It  should  be  universally  known  that 
many  serious  and  dangerous  diseases  may  be  traced  to  the  use 
of  impure  water.  In  regions  where  the  water  is  universally 
“hard”  or  limy,  rain  water  properly  filtered  should  be  used 
for  drinking  and  cooking,  as  well  as  for  washing. 

2.  Convenience  of  Access. — In  mauy  cases  nearness  to  one’s 
place  of  business,  or  to  the  railway  station  or  steamboat  land¬ 
ing,  has  naturally  considerable  influence  in  determining  the 
choice  of  a  lot.  This  circumstance  should  not,  however,  have 
too  much  weight.  An  additional  quarter  of  a  mile  added  to 
the  tri-daily  walk  of  a  man  of  sedentary  employments  may  bo 
an  advantage  rather  than  otherwise ;  and  often  a  much  better 
site  can  be  obtained  for  the  same  amount  of  money  by  fore¬ 
going  the  slight  advantages  of  a  more  central  locality. 

Where  mere  business  motives  may  be  left  out  of  the  account, 
the  tastes  and  habits  of  the  family  will  have  a  controlling  in¬ 
fluence.  One  will  seek  the  frequented  street  or  highway, 
while  another  will  choose  a  quiet  lane  or  an  out-of-the-way 
nook. 

It  is  not  necessary,  as  many  seem  to  suppose,  that  a  farm-house 
or  the  residence  of  a  man  of  leisure  should  be  close  to  the 
highway.  A  sufficient  distance  from  it  to  avoid  the  noise  and 
dust,  and  secure  privacy  and  quiet,  is  far  preferable;  but  at 
the  same  time,  unless  one  desires  to  cut  himself  off  from  all  in¬ 
tercourse  with  the  world,  his  house  should  be  easy  of  access. 

3.  Suitableness  of  Ground. — The  cost  of  building,  digging 
cellars  and  wells,  etc.,  is  greatly  influenced  by  the  nature  of  the 
ground,  which  must,  therefore,  always  enter  into  the  account. 
It  sometimes  costs  more  to  prepare  the  grounds  for  building 


18 


The  House. 


than  to  build  the  house.  This  is  well  enough  when  advant¬ 
ages  are  secured  which  really  warrant  the  outlay;  hut  the  cir¬ 
cumstance  should  have  its  due  weight  in  determining  one’s 
choice. 

The  adaptation  of  the  surrounding  soil  to  the  purpose  of  cul¬ 
ture  and  the  growth  of  trees  may  be  considered  under  the 
same  head.  A  good  garden  plot  in  the  vicinity  of  the  house  is 
very  desirable,  but  we  find  little  soil  in  this  country  that  may 
not  easily  he  brought  to  the  desired  state  of  fertility,  although 
originally  what  is  called  poor. 

4.  Altitude. — A  somewhat  elevated  site  has  many  advant¬ 
ages — beauty  of  prospect,  salubrity  and  dryness  of  air,  facilities 
for  drainage,  etc. — but  is  generally  comparatively  difficult  of 
access,  and  unless  sheltered  on  the  north  and  west  by  higher 
grounds  or  by  belts  of  trees,  bleak  and  uncomfortable  in  win¬ 
ter.  Some  valleys,  however,  are  equally  bleak,  the  wind  sweep¬ 
ing  through  them  with  a  power  unknown  even  on  the  hill-top. 
Loudon  says,  that  of  all  varieties  of  hilly  surface,  the  most  de¬ 
sirable  site  is  where  a  prominent  knoll  stands  forward  from  a 
lengthened  ridge,  and  where  the  latter  has  a  valley  with  a  river 
in  front  and  higher  hills  rising  one  above  another  behind.  One 
of  the  worst  sites  is  the  steep  uniform  side  of  a  hill,  closely  sur¬ 
rounded  by  other  hills  equally  high  and  steep. 

The  style  of  building  you  propose  to  erect  (if  first  decided 
upon)  must  be  considered  with  reference  to  this  point.  A 
plain,  low  cottage  very  properly  nestles  in  some  quiet  nook  at 
the  base  of  a  hill  or  ridge,  while  the  more  pretending  orna¬ 
mental  villa  may  with  equal  propriety  crown  its  summit. 

5.  Aspect. — The  choice  of  an  aspect  should  be  determined 
mainly  by  local  and  climatic  considerations ;  a  free  play  for  the 
cooling  breeze  being  essential  in  one  place,  and  a  shelter  from 
wintry  winds  exceedingly  desirable  in  another.  In  all  climates 
we  should,  if  possible,  secure  a  barrier  either  of  higher  grounds 
or  thick  belts  of  trees  (evergreens  are  best)  on  the  side  of  the 
house  looking  in  the  direction  from  which  violent  storms  most 
frequently  come.  The  north  side  of  a  high  hill  or  ridge,  where 


House-Building. 


19 


the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  would  be  excluded  for  a  large  portion 
of  the  time,  is  entirely  unfit  for  a  building  site,  sunlight  being 
everywhere  essential  to  health  and  comfort.  In  a  northern 
climate,  a  southern  or  southeastern  exposure  with  sheltering 
hills  on  the  north  is  generally  preferred. 

In  reference  to  the  main  points  from  which  it  is  seen,  and 
the  avenues  by  which  it  is  approached,  a  house  should  be  so 
placed,  if  practicable,  as  to  present  an  agreeable  appearance, 
being  neither  too  closely  screened  nor  too  much  exposed. 

6.  Trees,  eta. — A  grove  or  belt  of  well-grown  forest  trees,  to 
serve  as  a  shelter  and  a  basis  for  future  operations  in  planting, 
adds  greatly  to  the  value  of  a  site ;  indeed,  so  important  do  we 
consider  this  point,  that  we  should  make  it  an  essential  one  in 
our  own  case.  But  such  situations  are  not  always  readily 
found,  and  some  would,  doubtless,  prefer  to  plant  their  own 
trees,  even  when  they  can  not  hope  to  live  long  enough  to  see 
them  in  their  fully  developed  beauty. 

There  are  many  other  objects  which  it  is  desirable  to  in 
elude  in  one’s  grounds,  when  practicable,  without  sacrificing 
other  and  more  important  considerations,  such  as  a  clear  run¬ 
ning  stream,  a  sheet  of  water  in  repose,  a  picturesque  ledge  of 
rock,  a  shaded,  naiad-haunted  ravine,  etc. ;  but  these  are  not 
generally  included  in  a  village  lot,  and  do  not  come  within  the 
reach  of  all.  Let  each  secure  whatever  of  beauty  and  comfort 
he  can  in  his  house  and  its  surroundings,  and  “  learn  therewith 
to  be  content.” 


III.— ADOPTION  OF  A  PLAN. 

No  man  should  commence  the  erection  of  even  the  smallest 
cottage  without  having  previously  adopted  a  well  digested  and 
fully  matured  plan.  It  is  not  enough  that  he  may  have  a  gener¬ 
al  idea  of  the  form  and  size  of  the  building  he  purposes  to  erect. 
All  the  details  of  its  internal  arrangement — the  size  and  sit¬ 
uation  of  the  various  rooms,  halls,  closets,  pantry,  etc.,  and  the 
exact  place  of  stairs,  chimneys,  doors,  and  windows,  should  all  be 
determined  before  the  first  stake  is  driven  to  mark  its  outlines 


20 


The  House. 


upon  the  ground  If  this  course  be  not  adopted,  serious  and 
expensive  mistakes  are  almost  sure  to  he  made,  and  money 
wasted  in  needless  alterations.  If  you  do  not  know  what  you 
want,  you  are  not  prepared  to  build,  and  should  wait  till  your 
necessities  and  tastes  have  assumed  definite  forms.  While  your 
house  is  yet  only  a  paper  cottage  or  villa  it  may  easily  be 
changed  to  meet  your  changing  whims ;  but  when  your  thought 
has  once  shaped  itself  in  brick  and  mortar,  it  has  become  a 
matter  of  enduring  record.  See  to  it  that  it  be  such  a  record 
as  you  are  willing  should  be  read  by  posterity. 

Adopt  no  plan  hastily,  whether  conceived  by  yourself  or  of¬ 
fered  by  another.  It  should  be  carefully  studied,  examined  in 
every  light,  looked  at  from  every  point  of  view.  There  are 
many  things  to  be  taken  into  consideration. 

1.  In  the  first  place,  your  house  must  be  adapted  to  the  site 
you  have  chosen.  A  plan  may  be  admirable  in  itself,  and  yet 
unsuited  to  a  particular  spot.  It  must  be  looked  at,  then,  in  ref¬ 
erence  to  the  ground  it  is  to  occupy ;  or  if  the  plan  be  adopted 
first,  the  site  must  be  selected  in  accordance  with  it.  Hot 
merely  the  style  and  general  character  of  a  house  are  influenced 
by  the  contour  and  aspect  of  the  features  of  the  landscape 
around,  but  its  outlines  upon  the  ground,  its  arrangement  in 
masses,  is  equally  subject  to  the  great  law  of  fitness.* 

2.  If  one’s  pecuniary  resources  are  limited,  the  amount  of 
money  which  he  can  appropriate  to  building  will  greatly  in¬ 
fluence  the  character  of  his  plan.  Reception-rooms,  drawing¬ 
rooms,  libraries,  boudoirs,  and  so  on,  are  certainly  desirable; 
but  if  you  have  but  seven  or  eight  hundred  dollars  to  expend 
in  building,  it  would  be  folly  to  put  them  all  into  your  plan. 
Y ou  must  be  content  with  a  small  number  of  rooms,  making, 
if  necessary,  several  of  them  serve  two  or  three  distinct  uses. 

Consider  first  what  accommodations  are  absolutely  essential 
to  your  comfort,  and  then  what  appliances  of  convenience  or 
luxury  you  can  add.  Do  not  plan  too  largely.  Depend  upon 


*  Gervaae  Wheeler. 


House-Building. 


21 


it,  you  will  enjoy  a  much  larger  sum  of  happiness  in  a  small 
house  wholly  paid  for,  than  in  a  large  one  which  has  involved 
you  in  debt. 

3.  Having  decided  what  sort  of  a  house  is  best  adapted  to 
your  site,  and  what  amount  of  accommodations  the  sum  you 
purpose  to  appropriate  will  secure,  consider  next  how  you  can 
make  that  amount  of  accommodation  best  subserve  the  particular 
wants  and  tastes  of  yourself  and  family.  No  two  households 
are  exactly  alike  in  their  domestic  habits,  and  a  house  which 
your  neighbor  Brown  finds  “just  the  thing,”  would  require 
considerable  modification  probably  to  adapt  it  to  your  purpose ; 
so  in  making  a  plan,  or  in  studying  those  which  we  offer  in  this 
work,  with  a  view  to  the  adoption  of  one  of  them,  keep  the 
requirements  of  your  particular  household  constantly  in  view, 
and  adopt,  modify,  or  reject  accordingly.,  remembering  that  the 
first  grand  requirement  of  every  dwelling-house  is  fitness  or 
adaptation  to  its  uses. 

The  fact  that  individual  wants  and  tastes  are  infinitely  va¬ 
ried,  renders  it  impossible  for  us  to  give  either  directions  or 
plans  that  will  exactly  suit  individual  cases ;  hut  we  will  here 
briefly  advert  to  some  general  principles  which  should  govern 
in  the  development  or  choice  of  a  plan. 

1.  General  Form. — The  largest  space  in  proportion  to  the 
extent  of  the  wall  may  be  included  in  the  circular  form,  but, 
although  round  houses  have  been  built,  as  we  shall  show  fur¬ 
ther  on,  this  shape  is  not  a  desirable  one.  The  octagon  ap¬ 
proaches  the  circle  in  shape  and  in  economy  of  outside  wall. 
This  form  is,  in  our  view,  open  to  serious  objections,  but  to 
give  our  readers  an  opportunity  to  judge  for  themselves  in  ref¬ 
erence  to  its  advantages  and  disadvantages,  we  give  plans  of 
octagon  houses  in  another  chapter. 

O.  S.  Fowler,  in  his  “  Home  for  All,”  has  advocated  this  form 
with  an  earnestness  which  could  only  come  from  thorough 
conviction  of  its  superiority  over  all  others.  To  that  work  we 


22  The  House. 

must  refer  those  who  may  desire  to  see  what  can  he  said  in  its 
favor. 

Of  the  common  forms  adopted  in  house-building,  the  square 
is  the  most  economical  in  point  of  outside  wall,  and  allows  the 
most  compact  arrangement  of  rooms.  Many  prefer  it  to  all 
others.  A  square  house  can  not  easily  be  made  picturesque, 
but  need  not  be,  as  such  houses  too  often  are,  a  mere  character¬ 
less  box.  The  advantages  of  the  winged  form,  in  its  various 
modifications,  are  a  more  perfect  adaptation  to  the  high-pitched 
roof,  greater  picturesqueness,  and  more  varied  aspects.  One 
part  can  also  often  be  so  projected  as  to  shelter  another  and 
more  important  one  from  prevailing  winds  and  storms. 

2.  Aspect. — With  regard  to  the  aspect  of  a  dwelling-house, 
and  the  disposition  of  its  various  rooms  in  reference  to  the 
points  of  compass,  the  principal  objects  to  be  kept  in  view  are: 
1.  Shelter  from  prevailing  winds  and  storms;  2.  Enjoyment  of 
particular  views  afforded  by  the  situation ;  3.  Exposure  to  or 
protection  from  the  sun.  In  cold  and  temperate  climates  a 
southern  or  southwestern  exposure  is  most  desirable  for  the 
principal  rooms.  In  the  Northern  and  Middle  States  generally, 
a  northeastern  aspect  is,  if  possible,  to  be  avoided,  our  most 
disagreeable  storms  coming  from  that  quarter.  In  hot  climates, 
a  northern  exposure  is  sometimes  chosen  on  account  of  its 
coolness. 

3.  Arrangement  of  Rooms. — But  other  considerations  be¬ 
sides  those  mentioned  in  the  preceding  section  should  of  course 
have  an  influence  in  deciding  the  disposition  of  the  various 
apartments  of  a  dwelling.  The  convenience  of  the  house  as  a 
whole  must  not  be  sacrificed  to  promote  the  comfort  of  a  single 
apartment.  The  end  to  be  secured  is  the  most  perfect  adapt¬ 
ation  possible  of  the  entire  structure  to  the  purpose  for  which 
it  is  erected.  This  purpose,  in  its  details,  being  almost  infinitely 
varied,  of  course  the  arrangement  of  rooms,  in  common  with 
the  architectural  features,  mode  of  construction,  etc.,  will  vary 
accordingly,  no  two  families  requiring  precisely  the  same  ac¬ 
commodations.  We  can  only  offer  a  faw  hints  for  general  appli- 


House-Building. 


23 


cation.  Our  ideas  on  this  point,  together  with  those  of  other 
persons,  will  be  found  elaborated  in  the  plans  presented  in 
other  chapters. 

Having  utility  constantly  in  view,  labor-saving  must  he 
made  a  prominent  idea  in  our  arrangement  of  rooms.  This  is 
necessary  in  the  habitations  of  the  rich  as  well  as  of  the  poor. 
The  difficulty  of  getting  good  servants,  and  the  cares  and  vex¬ 
ations  attending  the  employment  of  bad  or  indifferent  ones,  ren 
Jer  it  desirable  for  even  the  wealthy  to  employ  as  few  of  them 
is  possible.  To  promote  the  saving  of  labor,  and  convenience 
in  performing  the  domestic  labors  of  a  household,  we  should 
study  compactness,  avoiding,  so  far  as  other  important  consider¬ 
ations  will  permit,  extended  wings  and  long  passages.  The 
rooms,  too,  most  closely  related  in  their  uses  should  be  brought 
near  each  other ;  the  dining-room,  for  instance,  being  so  placed 
as  to  afford  easy  ingress  and  egress  from  the  kitchen,  while  at 
the  same  time  it  is  desirable  that  the  one  should  not  open  di¬ 
rectly  into  the  other.  To  the  same  end,  a  pantry,  sink-room, 
closets,  etc.,  should  be  provided  for  in  connection  with  the 
dining-room  and  kitchen.  When  there  is  a  basement,  some 
will  prefer  to  place  the  kitchen  and  its  offices  in  that,  and  the 
dining-room  on  the  principal  floor.  This  is  a  more  elegant  but 
a  less  convenient  arrangement  than  having  them  on  the  same 
floor.  A  dumb  waiter,  however,  will  obviate,  in  part  at  least, 
the  objections  to  this  plan.  The  entrance  hall  should  generally 
he  central  in  position,  and  if  possible  furnish  access  to  every 
room  on  the  first  floor.  In  some  plans,  however,  in  order  to 
economize  space,  it  is  advisable  to  deviate  from  this  rule.  It 
should  open  toward  the  south,  east,  or  west,  if  possible,  and  not 
toward  the  north. 

When  it  is  practicable,  there  should  be  at  least  one  room  on 
the  first  floor  provided  with  the  means  of  warmth  and  venti¬ 
lation,  which  can  he  used  as  a  sleeping-room  in  case  of  sick¬ 
ness  or  other  need. 

The  duties  of  hospitality  should  not  be  neglected,  and  pro¬ 
vision  must  be  made,  in  every  plan  which  will  admit  it,  for 


24 


The  House. 


spare  chambers,  a  parlor,  etc. ;  we  do  not,  however,  or  at 
least  we  should  not,  build  our  houses  for  our  guests,  hut  for 
ourselves  and  families,  and  we  protest  against  the  sacrifice  of 
family  convenience  and  home-comfort,  often  made,  for  the  pur¬ 
pose  of  entertaining  occasional  visitors  more  elegantly.  Would 
it  not  he  well  for  our  very  utilitarian  people  to  consider 
whether  it  really  “  pays”  to  provide  an  elegant  and  comfortable 
parlor — perhaps  the  only  handsome  room  in  the  house — to  he 
used,  as  is  the  case  in  many  country  dwellings,  scarcely  a 
dozen  times  in  a  year  ?  Take  our  advice,  and  if  you  have  a 
peculiarly  handsome,  agreeable,  and  comfortable  room  in  your 
house,  whether  it  be  called  parlor,  saloon,  or  drawing-room, 
furnish  and  adorn  it  in  the  best  manner  your  means  will  per¬ 
mit,  and  then  use  it — avail  yourself  of  its  benefits  by  throwing 
it  open  for  daily  family  occupancy ;  and  when  guests  arrive, 
welcome  them  also  to  all  its  advantages.  They  will  feel  much 
more  at  home  there  than  in  a,  room  which  has  been  opened  on 
their  arrival  for  the  first  time  in  a  month  or  two. 

Sleeping  apartments  should  be  of  good  size,  well-lighted,  and 
well-ventilated,  and  each  should  have  separate  means  of  ascess 
to  a  hall,  corridor,  or  passage.  Their  distribution  will  gener¬ 
ally  be  suggested  by  that  of  the  rooms  below. 

Every  house  should  have  a  bath-room.  In  assigning  it  its 
place,  reference  should  be  had  to  ease  of  access,  facility  of  con¬ 
veying  water,  and  security  against  damage  from  any  accidental 
leakage.  A  water-closet,  either  in  connection  with  the  bath¬ 
ing-room  or  in  some  other  convenient  situation,  is  very  desir¬ 
able,  and  should  be  provided  for  wherever  the  pecuniary  means 
at  the  command  of  the  builder  will  permit. 

4.  Miscellaneous  Hints. — A  pantry  convenient  to  the  din¬ 
ing-room,  and  if  practicable  opening  from  it,  should  be  provided 
for  in  every  house.  A  sink-room  and  closets  must  be  thought 
of  in  the  same  connection.  Every  sleeping  room  should  also 
have  a  closet  if  practicable ;  but  we  would  not  sacrifice  the  pro¬ 
portion  and  beauty  of  a  room  by  cutting  off  closets  where  they 
can  not  conveniently  be  made  without  violence  to  the  design. 


H  otjse-Building. 


25 


The  situation  of  the  chimneys  should  be  made  the  subject  of 
careful  consideration.  They  give  most  warmth  when  placed 
in  the  inner  walls,  but  in  some  styles  of  building  are  more 
picturesque  on  the  exterior. 

Stairs  should  generally  be  central  in  position,  broad,  and  not 
too  high.  A  back  door  should  be  provided,  both  for  conveni¬ 
ence  and  for  the  purpose  of  ventilation,  of  which  more  anon. 
Windows  on  opposite  sides  of  a  room  are  generally  to  b< 
avoided,  on  account  of  their  unpleasant  “  cross  lights.” 

IV.— STYLE  OF  ARCHITECTURE. 

The  domestic  architecture  of  a  people  should  be  the  natural 
outgrowth  of  its  character,  institutions,  customs,  and  habits, 
modified  by  the  climate  and  scenery  in  the  midst  of  which  it  is 
built  up.  In  this  way  originated  the  English  cottage,  the 
Swiss  chalet,  and  the  Italian  villa.  Having  in  this  country 
institutions  differing  from  those  of  any  other,  together  with 
many  peculiarities  of  character,  habits,  and  climate,  we  can 
not  consistently  adopt  in  full  the  architecture  of  any  other 
people  or  country.  We  should  have  a  style,  or  perhaps  sev¬ 
eral  styles,  peculiar  to  ourselves ;  and  no  doubt  we  shall  have 
them  in  due  time.  Thus  far  we  have  been  content  to  build 
in  every  style,  ancient  and  modern,  and,  most  of  all,  in  no 
style ;  covering  the  whole  face  of  the  country  with  incon¬ 
gruous  and  unsightly  structures.  There  are  various  causes  for 
this  state  of  things,  the  principal  of  which  are  the  necessary 
devotion  of  our  people  to  the  rough  work  of  subduing  a  new 
country ;  the  consequent  lack  of  thought  and  culture  in  the 
right  direction ;  and  the  want  of  true  home-feeling,  growing 
out  of  our  migratory  habits.  These  causes  are  becoming  yea. 
by  year  less  operative,  and  our  domestic  architecture  is  improv¬ 
ing  in  the  same  ratio — exceptions  to  the  general  ugliness  of  our 
buildings  growing  more  and  more  numerous  as  leisure,  culture, 
and  love  of  home  and  home-life  increase  among  us.  This  im¬ 
provement  will  go  on ;  the  modifications  which  our  climates  and 
modes  of  life  suggest  in  existing  styles  will  assume  definite,  and 

2 


26 


The  House. 


artistic,  and  permanent  shape,  and  the  new  American  style  or 
styles  will  receive  their  birth.  In  the  mean  time,  we  must 
borrow  and  modify  as  best  we  may. 

The  various  modes  of  building  now  in  use,  so  far  as  they  are 
susceptible  of  classification,  may  be  referred  to  two  original 
styles  of  which  they  are  modifications — the  Grecian,  in  which 
horizontal  lines  prevail,  and  the  Gothic,  in  which  vertical  lines 
prevail.  To  the  former  class  belongs  the  Italian,  the  Swiss,  the 
Flemish,  and  other  continental  European  modes,  in  their  various 
modifications ;  and  to  the  latter  the  old  English  styles  of  various 
periods,  as  well  as  the  modern  rural  Gothic  mode. 

In  adopting  any  mode  for  imitation,  our  preference  should  be 
guided  not  only  by  the  intrinsic  beauty  which  we  see  in  a 
particular  style,  but  by  its  appropriateness  to  our  uses.  This 
will  generally  be  indicated  by  the  climate,  the  site,  and  the 
wants  of  the  family  which  is  to  inhabit  the  house.  In  high 
northern  latitudes,  where  colonnades  and  verandas  would  be 
unsuitable,  the  Grecian  or  Italian  styles  should  not  be  chosen ; 
and  in  a  tropical  one,  the  warm,  solid,  comfortable  features  of 
the  old  English  architecture  would  be  neither  necessary  nor  ap¬ 
propriate,* 

1.  Taking  the  climate  alone  into  consideration,  a  Southern 
should  differ  in  many  respects  from  a  Northern  house.  The 
broad  halls,  airy  rooms,  cool  ombras,  and  spacious  verandas  or 
arcades  and  balconies,  required  by  the  former,  seem  to  indicate 
a  modification  of  the  Italian  style ;  while  the  compact  arrange¬ 
ment  of  apartments,  the  provisions  for  fireside  comfort,  and  the 
protection  against  heavy  snows  which  must  be  insisted  upon 
in  the  latter,  point  to  the  various  forms  of  the  Gothic  rural 

tyle.  In  the  middle  region  of  our  country,  either  style  may 
appropriately  be  adopted,  as  other  conditions  may  require. 

2.  The  next  consideration  is  fitness  to  the  site  we  have 
iliosen,  or  harmony  with  the  scenery  around.  “  Rural  archi¬ 
tecture,  ’’  it  has  been  truly  said,  “is  the  creation  of  a  picture 


*  Downing, 


H  ouse-Building. 


27 


of  which  the  landscape  is  the  background.”  We  must  desigD 
the  principal  object  in  the  picture  to  correspond  with  its  ac¬ 
cessories.  “The  ultimate  test  of  rural  architecture  and  its 
kindred  art,  landscape  gardening,  is  landscape  painting.  Does 
a  literal  view  of  a  building  and  its  environs  from  a  well-chosen 
point,  or  from  several  points  of  view,  make  a  good  picture? 
Does  it,  as  artists  say,  compose  well  ?  Does  it  seem  of  a  piece, 
as  if  the  building  might  have  grown  out  of  the  ground  ?  Then, 
but  not  otherwise,  the  design  is  good.”* 

The  principle  here  laid  down  is  -violated  by  erecting  a  Swiss 
chalet  in  alow,  flat  country;  a  small,  plain,  unpretending  cottage 
on  an  elevated  and  commanding  situation ;  or  an  Italian  villa 
with  a  lookout  tower  in  a  secluded  valley.  It  should  also  be 
understood  that  rustic  features  look  well  only  in  the  midst  of 
rural  simplicity,  and  that  architectural  elegance  should  be  re¬ 
served  for  cultivated  scenes.  Again,  where  the  features  of  the 
landscape  are  wild  and  grand,  irregularity  and  picturesqueness 
in  the  forms  of  buildings  may  appropriately  be  introduced. 
A  cottage  which  would  seem  fitting  and  beautiful  on  a  village 
street  would  be  incongruous  with  its  situation  and  appear  evi¬ 
dently  misplaced  on  a  rough  hillside,  in  the  midst  of  the  wild¬ 
ness  of  nature. 

3.  The  plan  of  a  house,  as  we  have  already  said,  should  he 
made  with  reference  to  its  site.  The  style  and  character  of  the 
elevation  are  influenced  in  some  measure  by  the  plan.  Some 
plans,  however,  are  adapted  to  various  styles  of  elevation, 
while  others  are  well  suited  to  only  one.  The  size  determined 
upon  will  also  modify  the  character  of  a  house,  and  must  al¬ 
ways  be  taken  into  the  account. 

4.  The  materials  to  be  used  in  construction  will  also  neces¬ 
sarily  influence  one  in  the  choice  of  a  style ;  for  although  a 
given  design  may  perhaps  be  executed  in  either  wood,  brick,  or 
stone,  it  will  not  be  equally  adapted  to  each.  Variety  of  form 
and  profusion  of  ornament  are  attained  in  stone  and  brick  only 


v_ 


*  Gervase  Wheeler. 


28 


The  House. 


at  great  expense.  Rural  cottages  of  these  materials  should 
therefore  generally  be  simple  in  form,  and  depend  for  their 
effect  upon  proportion,  symmetry,  and  what  artists  call  breadth, 
rather  than  upon  variety  and  picturesqueness  of  outline  and 
nigh  finish.  In  wood,  greater  variety  of  form  and  more  elabo¬ 
rate  embellishment  may  be  secured  at  a  given  expense ;  indeed, 
so  great  is  the  facility  of  producing  architectural  ornaments  in 
this  material,  that  they  are  too  often  applied  unmeaningly,  use¬ 
lessly,  and  to  a  most  absurd  extent. 

5.  One  hint  more  on  this  head  for  the  especial  benefit  of 
those  who  have  spent  most  of  their  lives  in  cities.  Do  not 
carry  your  cockneyism  into  the  country.  Leave  your  town 
house  where  it  is.  It  is,  no  doubt,  a  very  good  town  house; 
but  nothing  can  be  more  absurd  than  to  attempt  to  reproduce 
it  in  the  midst  of  orchards  and  cornfields.  Downing  speaks  of 
a  suburban  villa  which  be  saw  on  Long  Island  in  the  shape  of 
“  a  narrow,  unmistakable  4  six  story  brick,’  which  seemed  in 
its  forloruness  and  utter  want  of  harmony  with  all  about  it,  as 
if  it  had  strayed  out  of  town  in  a  fit  of  insanity  and  had  lost 
the  power  of  getting  back  again.”  “  A  word  to  the  wise,”  etc. 

V.— MATERIALS. 

1.  Wood. — No  other  material  is  so  extensively  employed 
in  rural  architecture,  in  this  country,  as  wood.  This  arises 
mainly  from  its  abundance  and  cheapness ;  but  an  additional 
reason  for  its  use  may  be  found  in  its  suitableness  for  the 
kind  of  buildings  mostly  wanted,  and  its  truthful  expression  of 
the  unstable  and  migratory  character  of  our  people.  Tempo¬ 
rary  shelters,  rather  than  permanent  homes,  have  been  in 
demand.  Young  men  expecting  soon  to  be  able  to  build  villas 
or  mansions,  have  not  cared  to  erect  cottages  of  stone  or 
brick,  to  be  pulled  down  or  sold  in  the  course  of  a  few  years. 
Wood  is  just  the  thing  required.  And  when  the  time  arrives 
for  building  the  villa  or  the  mansion  (for  these  castles  in  the 
air,  in  many  cases,  ultimately  assume  a  tangible  shape  on  tho 
solid  ground),  the  projector  is  perhaps  no  longer  young 


House-Building. 


29 

Wood  will  still  serve  his  purpose.  Why  should  he  seek  a 
more  enduring  material  ?  He  will  need  the  building  but  a 
few  years;  and  his  sons,  perhaps,  have  all  “gone  West” — at 
any  rate,  they  will  sell  the  paternal  mansion  so  soon  as  it  shall 
come  into  their  possession  and  build  for  themselves.  It  has 
for  them  none  of  the  sacred  associations  of  home.  It  is  haunt¬ 
ed  by  no  memories  of  their  childhood.  It  is  only  their  father’s 
grand  new  house ! 

So  it  has  been  in  the  past,  and  so,  to  a  large  extent,  will  it 
continue  to  be  for  a  long  time  to  come;  but  there  is  a  tend¬ 
ency,  as  we  have  before  hinted,  toward  a  better  state  of  things. 
In  the  older  parts  of  the  country,  at  least,  families  are  acquir¬ 
ing  local  permanency,  and  a  love  of  home  and  all  that  pertains 
to  home-life  and  home-scenes  is  beginning  to  be  fostered. 
These  circumstances  and  sentiments  will  gradually  find  ex¬ 
pression  in  a  more  solid  and  enduring  style  of  domestic  archi¬ 
tecture. 

But  while  wood  is  abundant  and  comparatively  cheap,  it 
will  necessarily  continue  to  be  employed  by  those  who  must 
build  cheaply  or  not  at  all.  Bent-paying  is  distasteful  to  our 
people,  who  choose  rather  to  live  in  houses  of  low  cost  owned 
by  themselves,  than  to  go  and  come  at  the  beck  of  a  landlord. 
They  are  right ;  and  while  we  would  gladly  see  them  give  place 
to  better  and  more  permanent  ones,  we  are  proud  of  the  flimsy, 
unsubstantial  structures,  so  sneered  at  by  foreigners,  which 
dot  the  whole  face  of  the  country.  They  are  the  homes  of  the 
people,  who  will  by-and-by  build  and  own  better  ones. 

For  all  wooden  cottages,  Downing  recommends  vertical 
boarding  with  inch  or  inch  and  a  quarter  pine,  tongued  and 
grooved  at  the  edges,  nailed  on,  and  covered  with  neat  bat¬ 
tens.  We  think,  however,  that  filled-in  walls  are  to  be  pre 
ferred.  These  are  made  by  filling-in  a  course  of  any  cheap 
bricks  f-om  bottom  to  top  of  the  whole  frame.  This  will  make 
a  wall  four  inches  thick  between  the  weather-boarding  and  the 
lath  and  plastering  of  the  rooms.  The  cheapest  mortar,  made 
with  a  small  proportion  of  lime,  is  used  for  this  filling-in ;  some 


30 


Th  E  H  OUSE. 


place  the  bricks  on  edge  and  build  them  flush  with  the  insid« 
of  the  timbers  or  studs  (or,  rather,  projecting  a  quarter  of  an 
inch  forward).  This  leaves  a  hollow  space  between  the  weather¬ 
boarding  and  the  brick  wall,  and  renders  lathing  unnecessary, 
the  plaster  being  applied  directly  on  the  inner  face  of  the  fill¬ 
ing-in. 

2.  Stone. — Where  permanence  is  required,  and  the  style  of 
architecture  adopted  will  admit  it,  stone  is  undoubtedly  tht 
best  of  all  materials  for  building.  In  some  parts  of  the  country, 
however,  it  can  not  be  procured ;  and  even  when  it  is  abund¬ 
ant,  the  expense  of  quarrying,  shaping,  and  laying  it  up,  gener¬ 
ally  renders  the  first  cost  of  a  stone  house  much  greater  than 
that  of  a  wooden  one.  But  where  the  cost  of  preparing  the 
stone  is  small,  it  may  often  be  advantageously  used  in  building 
houses  of  moderate  cost. 

The  inner  face  of  the  walls  of  stone  houses  should  always  be 
“furred  off,”  leaving  a  space  of  two  or  more  inches  between 
the  solid  wall  and  the  plaster.  The  stratum  of  air  thus  inter¬ 
posed  will  effectually  prevent  dampness,  and  render  the  wall 
cooler  in  summer  and  warmer  in  winter  than  it  could  other¬ 
wise  be  made.* 

In  damp  situations  it  is  also  necessary  to  build  the  foundation 
walls  of  hydraulic  lime  mortar,  to  cut  off  the  access  of  moist¬ 
ure  from  the  ground.  With  those  precautions,  houses  built  of 
stone  will  be  as  free  from  dampness  as  any  other. 

3.  Brick. — Brick,  when  made  of  good  clay,  rightly  tempered 
with  sand,  and  well  burned,  makes  an  excellent  material  for 
building,  either  in  city,  village,  or  country.  It  is  suitable  for 
designs  in  which  stone  can  not,  without  great  expense,  be 
wrought  into  the  required  forms. 

Hollow  walls  are  best  for  brick  houses,  their  advantages 
being :  1.  A  considerable  saving  of  materials ;  2.  The  preven¬ 
tion  of  dampness ;  3.  The  saving  of  all  the  cost  of  lathing  and 
studding  for  the  interior  walls ;  4.  The  great  security  afforded 


*  Tor  an  excellent  method  of  building  with  unhewn  stone,  see  Appendix  (AX 


H  ouse-JB  uilding  . 


31 


against  fire;  5.  The  opportunity  they  afford  for  thorough  and 
easily  controlled  ventilation.*  When  not  built  hollow,  brick 
walls  should  be  11  furred  off”  iu  the  same  way  as  those  of  stone. 

When  timber  and  stone  are  both  scarce,  as  on  the  prairies 
of  the  West,  cottages  and  farm-houses  are  frequently  built  of 
unburnt  brick.  In  our  Appendix  will  be  found  an  account  of 
their  construction,  condensed  from  a  Report  on  the  subject 
made  by  Mr.  Ellsworth  while  Commissioner  of  Patents.  He 
bears  the  strongest  testimony  to  their  cheapness,  warmth,  and 
durability.! 

4.  Concrete. — Much  attention  has  been  directed  of  late  to 
walls  of  concrete  for  country  houses.  These  walls  are  said  to 
combine  in  a  high  degree  durability,  cheapness,  warmth,  and 
dryness.  They  are  composed  of  lime,  sand,  gravel,  and  frag¬ 
ments  of  stone.  A  considerable  number  of  houses  have  been 
built  of  this  material  within  the  last  few  years,  with  varying  and 
seemingly  contradictory  results.  In  some  cases  perfect  success 
seems  to  have  been  attained,  the  walls  assuming  and  retaining 
a  stone-like  consistency  and  promising  great  durability,  while 
in  others  expensive  failures  have  been  the  result,  the  structures 
crumbling  to  powder  within  two  years. 

Our  own  opinion,  formed  after  a  thorough  examination  of 
the  subject,  is,  that  where  all  the  requisite  materials  abound, 
walls  of  concrete  may  be  put  up  far  more  cheaply  than  those 
of  stone  or  brick,  and  that  a  durability  nearly  equal  to  that  of 
marble  may  be  universally  secured  by  a  strict  compliance  with 
the  following  conditions: 

1.  The  various  materials  entering  into  the  composition  of 
the  concrete  must  be  well  selected  and  rightly  compounded- 
the  lime  being  of  a  good  quality,  the  sand  clean  and  sharp,  and 
the  gravel  well  screened,  and  each  of  these  ingredients,  as  well 
as  the  rock  fragments,  being  used  in  the  proper  proportion. 

2.  The  walls  must  be  built  at  the  proper  season  of  the  year, 
to  insure  their  perfect  hardening  before  being  affected  by  frost. 


•  Sea  Appendix:  (B) 


t  See  Appendix  (C). 


32 


The  House. 


3.  The  building  must  be  covered  by  a  projecting  roof,  to 
protect  the  walls  against  vertical  rains. 

We  have  yet  to  learn  that  a  failure  has  ever  occurred  where 
all  these  conditions  have  been  strictly  adhered  to. 

We  give  in  the  Appendix  some  account  of  the  mode 
building  concrete  walls,  and  further  information  may  be  found 

O.  S.  Fowler’s  “  Home  for  All.”  Our  principal  objection 
to  this  mode  of  budding  lies  in  the  necessity  which  exists  for 
external  plastering  or  stuccoing,  and  the  consequent  blank  and 
monotonous  appearance  of  the  walls.  With  many  persons, 
however,  this  objection  will  have  little  weight.  It  may  be  ob¬ 
viated  by  the  common  sham  of  marking  oif  the  surface  in  imi¬ 
tation  of  courses  of  stone,  an  untruthful  practice  which  we 
can  not  recommend. 

YI.— MISCELLANEOUS  DETAILS. 

1.  Cellars. — Cellars  under  dwelling  houses  are  generally 
deemed  indispensable.  They  are  certainly  very  useful ;  hut 
there  is  an  evil  of  such  magnitude  connected  with  them,  that 
some  have  advocated  their  entire  abolition.  They  are  almost 
universally  manufactories  and  reservoirs  of  foul  air,  which,  find¬ 
ing  its  way  upward  by  means  of  doors,  windows,  stairways, 
and  crevices  in  the  floors,  diffuses  its  noxious  elements  through 
the  rooms  above,  and  becomes  a  fruitful  source  of  disease. 
It  is  not  necessary  that  they  should  be  half  filled  with  rotting 
garbage  to  produce  this  result.  The  surface  of  the  earth  is 
filled  with  decomposable  substances,  and  whenever  air  is  con¬ 
fined  in  any  spot  in  contact  with  the  ground,  or  any  change¬ 
able  organic  matter,  it  becomes  saturated  with  various  exhala¬ 
tions  which  are  detrimental  to  health.*  Means  must  be  pro 
vided,  therefore,  for  their  thorough  ventilation,  or  cellars  must 
be  abandoned  altogether.! 

A  cellar,  to  fully  serve  its  purposes,  should  be  cool  iu  sum- 


*  Professor  Tollmans.  +  See  Appendix  (D). 


House-Building. 


33 


mer,  impervious  to  frost  in  winter,  and  dry  at  all  times.  The 
walls  should  rise  one  or  two  feet  at  least  above  the  level  of 
the  surrounding  ground,  and  should  be  k*:d  in  good  lime  mor¬ 
tar,  or  at  least  pointed  with  it.  The  thickness  of  the  wall 
should  not  be  less  than  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  inches ;  and  if 
the  house  walls  above  be  built  of  brick  or  stone,  two  feet  is 
better.  The  cellar  should  have  a  drain  from  the  lowest  cor¬ 
ner,  which  should  be  always  kept  open  ;  and  each  room  in  it 
should  have  at  least  two  sliding  sash  windows,  to  secure  a  cir¬ 
culation  of  air.  In  very  cold  climates,  those  portions  of  the 
walls  above  the  surface  of  the  ground  should  be  double,  either 
by  means  of  a  distinct  thin  wall  on  the  outside  or  by  lathing 
and  plastering  on  the  inside,  and  be  furnished  with  double 
windows  as  a  further  security  against  frost.  An  outside  door 
with  a  flight  of  steps  is  desirable  in  every  cellar,  and  in  one 
connected  with  a  farm-house  indispensable. 

2.  Chimneys. — The  construction  of  an  effective  chimney 
would  seem  to  be  a  very  simple  and  easy  matter ;  and  so  it  is, 
provided  the  philosophical  principles  involved  be  first  under- 
Fig.  2.  stood,  as  they  should  be  by  ev-  F‘g-  3- 


ery  builder. 


The  main  point  to  be  attend¬ 
ed  to  in  order  to  cause  a  chim¬ 
ney  to  draw  well,  is  to  con¬ 
tract  the  openings  both  at  the 


throat  and  at  the  top,  so  as 
to  break  the  force  of  any  down¬ 
ward  currents  of  air  which 
may  he  thrown  into  it.  Fig. 
2  will  serve  to  illustrate  the 
faulty  construction  of  the  throat, 
and  fig.  3  the  correct  construc¬ 
tion. 


F  ATJLTY 
CONSTRUCTION. 


COKKEOT 

Construction. 


In  very  windy  or  exposed 


situations  the  top  of  the  chimney  should  he  contracted  to  a 
third  less  than  the  area  of  the  flue ;  but  in  ordinary  cases  a 

2* 


34  The  House. 

diminution  of  about  two  inches  in  the  diameter  will  he  suf 
ficient. 

3.  Warming. — The  original  plan  for  warming  houses  was  to 
build  a  fire  in  the  center  of  the  principal  room,  the  smoke 
being  allowed  to  find  its  way  out  either  at  a  hole  in  the  roof  or 
through  any  accidental  crevices  which  might  exist.  With  the 
invention  of  the  chimney  came  the  fire-place,  an  opening  in  the 
side  of  its  base.  This  opening  formed,  at  first,  an  immense  re 
cess  with  square  side-Walls  or  jambs,  and,  in  addition  to  the  fire, 
furnished  accommodations  for  several  persons,  who  were  pro¬ 
vided  with  seats  within  its  area.  The  tendency  of  modern 
improvement  has  been  to  gradually  contract  this  opening, 
until  it  seems  in  a  fair  way  to  be  abolished  altogether;  but 
this  last  step  should  not  be  taken  till  something  more  suitable 
than  has  yet  been  produced  shall  have  been  provided  to  take 
its  place. 

The  principal  methods  of  warming  now  in  use  in  this  coun¬ 
try  are:  1.  By  open  fire-places;  2.  By  open  grates;  8.  By 
stoves ;  4.  By  hot-air  furnaces ;  5.  By  steam  and  hot-water 
apparatuses. 

1.  The  open  fire-place  furnishes  the  pleasantest  and  most 
healthful  mode  of  warming  a  room  ;  but  in  a  pecuniary  point 
of  view  it  is  not  economical.  A  very  large  portion  of  the  heat 
generated  is  carried  up  the  chimney  and  lost.  By  so  construct¬ 
ing  the  fire-place  that  it  may  supply  a  current  of  heated  air  to 
the  room,  which  may  easily  be  done  in  various  ways,  this  ob¬ 
jection  is  partially  obviated. 

Any  attempt  to  bring  the  fire-place  again  into  general  use, 
even  in  the  country,  would  probably  be  vain ;  but  we  can  not 
refrain  from  expressing  most  emphatically  our  opinion,  that 
in  places  where  fuel  is  still  cheap,  the  substitution  of  stoves 
has  been  a  most  unwise  and  short-sighted  piece  of  false  econ¬ 
omy.  Shall  we  give  up  the  cheerful  and  healthful  glow  of  tho 
blazing  fire,  and  submit  to  the  stifling  heat  and  gloomy  ap 
pearance  of  the  deadly  “  air-tight,”  for  the  mere  purpose  of 
saving  a  few  dollars,  at  the  expense  of  an  untold  amount  a? 


.3 


House-Building. 


35 


health  and  comfort?  We  must  at  least  put  on  record  here  our 
earnest  protest  against  it. 

2.  Next  to  the  open  fire-place,  in  point  of  health  and  com¬ 
fort,  comes  the  open  chimney  grate.  Similar  to  this,  and 
more  economical,  is  the  stove  grate  or  open  stove.  This,  when 
properly  constructed  with  an  air-chamber  within  it  connected 
with  the  open  air  by  a  pipe  and  with  several  openings  near  the 
top  to  admit  the  warmed  air  into  the  room,  furnishes  a  very 
pleasant  means  of  warming  an  apartment. 

3.  Our  opinion  of  stoves  has  already  been  hinted  at.  If  it 
onflicts  with  the  generally  received  ideas  on  the  subject,  we 

can  not  help  it.  With  the  exception  of  the  open  stove  or  stove 
grate  already  mentioned,  we  are  constrained  to  pronounce  them 
unmitigated  nuisances,  entirely  unworthy  of  acceptance  in  an 
enlightened  age  and  by  an  enlightened  people.  They  have 
not  a  single  advantage,  so  far  as  we  can  perceive,  to  recommend 
them — not  even  that  of  economy,  for  where  they  subtract  one 
dollar  from  the  fuel  account,  they  add  two  to  the  doctor’s  bill. 

We  believe  that  their  almost  universal  introduction  has  had 
more  to  do  than  any  other  single  cause  with  the  acknowledged 
deterioration  which  has  taken  place  within  the  last  half  century 
in  the  health  and  vital  stamina  of  our  people.  It  is  Dickens, 
we  believe,  who  calls  the  stove  the  “household  demon.” 
Would  to  God  we  had  the  power  to  exorcise  it ! 

4.  Hot-air  furnaces,  steam  apparatus,  etc.,  are  little  used  in 
warming  small  country  houses ;  and  it  is  hardly  desirable  that 
they  should  be  more  extensively  introduced ;  for  their  advant¬ 
ages,  as  they  are  generally  managed,  are  fully  counterbalanced 
by  their  disadvantages. 

In  building,  attention  should  be  directed  to  making  the  walla 
of  a  dwelling-house  poor  conductors  of  heat.  Of  the  means 
of  doing  this  we  have  already  spoken.  For  the  same  reason 
double  windows  should  be  introduced  wherever  the  winters 
are  very  severe.  Ordinary  windows,  no  matter  how  tight 
they  may  be,  are  great  abstractors  of  heat — or,  rather,  they 
furnish  a  medium  through  which  the  cold  air  without  abstracts 


36 


The  House. 


the  heat  from  the  warm  air  within.  Double  windows,  by  con 
fining  a  stratum  of  air  (a  non-conductor  of  heat)  between  them, 
entirely  prevents  this  loss.  Doubling  the  glass  in  the  sam« 
sash  answers  the  purpose  equally  well. 

5.  Ventilation. — We  can  not  here  go  into  an  exposition  of 
the  relations  of  atmospheric  air  to  the  animal  economy,  or  show 
how  its  various  constituents  affect  the  system.  We  must  take 
it  for  granted  that  the  reader  understands  and  fully  appreciates 
the  fact,  that  pure  air  is  quite  as  essential  to  the  health  of  the 
body  and  the  right  performance  of  its  functions  as  wholesome 
food,  and  that  therefore  a  copious  and  constant  supply  of  it  in 
our  dwellings  is  of  the  utmost  importance.  But  this,  we  fear, 
is  assuming  too  much.  If  it  be  generally  known  that  the  at¬ 
mospheric  air  in  its  purity,  and  that  alone,  is  fitted  for  the  res¬ 
piration  of  human  beings,  how  does  it  happen  that  the  great 
mass  of  our  people  are  content  to  breathe,  during  a  large  por¬ 
tion  of  their  lives,  a  vile  compound  of  noxious  gases  instead? 
In  a  majority  of  our  houses,  even  of  the  better  sort,  the  little 
ventilation  which  takes  place  is  purely  incidental,  no  direct 
provision  whatever  being  made  for  it.  What  is  the  result? 
During  the  warmest  weather  of  summer,  open  doors  and 
windows  generally  secure  adequate  circulation  and  consequent 
purity  of  air.  In  the  winter,  and  a  portion  of  the  time  in  the 
summer,  the  case  is  quite  different.  The  windows  and  doors 
are  carefully  closed  and  a  fire  kindled  in  the  stove  or  grate, 
around  which  we  gather.  Now  commences  the  transformation 
of  the  life-giving  element,  with  which  the  room  was  originally 
filled,  into  a  subtile  but  active  and  powerful  agent  of  disease  and 
death.  The  air,  chemists  tell  us,  is  mainly  composed  of  nitro¬ 
gen  and  oxygen,  of  which  the  latter  is  the  active,  life-giving 
principle,  and  the  former  the  neutral  or  diluting  principle. 
Now  each  person  takes  into  his  lungs  more  than  two  hogsheads 
per  hour  of  this  vital  fluid — that  is,  provided  it  can  be  had — 
retains  most  of  the  oxygen,  and  throws  out  in  place  of  it  nearly 
an  equal  bulk  of  carbonic  acid  gas — a  deadly  poison.  The 
combustion  of  fuel  in  the  stove  or  grate,  and  of  the  substance* 


House-Building. 


37 


used  in  lighting  the  room  in  the  evening,  acts  upon  the  air  in 
nearly  the  same  manner  as  breathing — consuming  its  oxygen 
and  supplying  its  place  with  carbonic  acid.  Other  gaseous 
impurities,  among  which  is  carbonic  oxyd,  a  much  more 
deadly  poison  than  carbonic  acid  even,  are  thrown  out  by  our 
stoves,  and  particularly  by  those  called  “air  tight,”  to  add  to 
the  general  mass  of  impurity  which  we  compel  ourselves  to 
breathe.  What  must  soon  become  the  state  of  the  atmo¬ 
sphere  in  a  closed  room  under  these  circumstances?  Does  it 
startle  you  to  think  of  it?  Well  it  may!  Depend  upon  it,  if 
you  could  see  the  mass  of  vitiated  and  poisoned  air  in  the 
midst  of  which  you  are  living  —if  it  should  for  a  moment  be¬ 
come  visible  in  the  form  of  a  sickly,  yellow  mist  or  a  cloud  of 
lurid,  deadly  red,  and  you  were  really  aware  of  all  its  noxious 
properties — you  would  flee  from  your  stove-heated  and  unven¬ 
tilated  rooms  as  from  a  city  swept  by  a  pestilence.  What 
wonder  we  have  headaches  and  bad  digestion  ;  that  the  cheek 
of  beauty  grows  pale  among  us  and  the  eye  of  youth  dim  and 
sunken ;  that  the  vital  powers  are  gradually  undermined ;  and 
that  scrofula,  dyspepsia,  and  consumption  are  so  common  and 
so  fatal.  But  have  we  not  said  enough  ?  There  is  a  remedy — 

P°  Ventilation, 

and  if  you  forget  everything  else  in  this  little  book — if  you 
heed  our  advice  on  no  other  point — remember  this  injunction  : 
Never  build  a  house,  or  live  in  one  already  built,  without  pro¬ 
viding  adequate  means  for  the  thorough  ventilation  of  every 
room  in  it. 

Ventilation  embraces  two  distinct  processes — the  removal 
of  the  foul  air  and  the  introduction  of  pure  air  ;  and  to  be  sat¬ 
isfactory,  both  must  be  carried  on  without  producing  injurious 
or  offensive  currents. 

The  simplest  provision  for  the  escape  of  bad  air  is  an  open¬ 
ing  in  the  chimney  near  the  ceiling,  properly  provided  with  a 
valve  or  register.  This  mode  of  ventilation  is  simple,  easily 
introduced  even  into  houses  already  built,  and  thoroughly 


38 


The  House. 


effective,  at  least  while  fires  are  kept  up,  as  they  usually  are 
during  the  winter,  when  ventilation  is  most  required.  An 
Arnot  valve  is  better  than  a  register 
for  insertion  in  a  chimney  opening, 
since  it  effcatually  prevents  the  es¬ 
cape  of  smoke  into  the  room.  This 
valve  is  a  very  simple  box  of  cast 
iron,  with  an  iron  valve  so  contrived 
that  it  will  remain  open  while  there 
is  the  least  pressure  of  foul  air  from 
within,  but  close  at  once  against  any  current  in  the  opposite 
direction.  It  is  easily  built  into  the  chimney,  or  can  be  inserted 
afterward  by  merely  taking  out  two  or  three  bricks. 

But  carbonic  acid  gas  is  heavier  than  common  air,  and  al¬ 
though  carried  upward  by  the  ascending  currents  and  partially 
drawn  off  by  the  opening  near  the  ceiling,  a  portion  of  it  de¬ 
scends  and  forms  a  stratum  in  the  lower  part  of  the  room. 
The  current  kept  up  by  the  combustion  going  on  in  an  open 
fire-place  or  a  grate  helps  to  draw  this  off ;  but  it  is  essential 
to  perfect  ventilation  that  an  opening  near  the  floor  be  provided 
for  the  special  purpose  of  carrying  it  away.  A  square  piece 
of  wire  gauze  inserted  in  the  lower  part  of  the  fire-board,  with 
a  curtain  of  oiled  silk  behind  it,  to  serve  as  a  valve,  will  an¬ 
swer  this  purpose  tolerably  well,  where  the  chimney  current 
is  sufficiently  strong.  Apertures  connected  with  downward 
conducting  flues,  however,  are  generally  more  serviceable. 

Means  being  provided  for  the  escape  of  the  impure  air,  a 
partial  supply  of  fresh  air  from  outside  finds  its  way  into  our 
rooms  through  accidental  fissures  and  occasionally  opened 
doors ;  hut  it  is  irregular  and  inadequate.  More  may  he  intro 
duced  by  lowering  the  upper  sash  of  a  window,  but  this  creates 
an  unpleasant  and  dangerous  current  of  cold  air,  and  is  there¬ 
fore  unsatisfactory.  An  improvement  upon  this  plan  is  to  re¬ 
place  one  of  the  upper  panes  of  glass  in  the  window  farthest 
from  the  fire  by  a  perforated  plate  of  zinc  or  a  louvre  made 
of  tin,  zinc,  or  glass,  with  horizontal  openings  or  slats  like  a 


House-Building. 


39 


Venetian  blind.  A  contrivance  of  this  nature  is  far  better  than 
no  provision  at  all  for  the  admission  of  pure  air,  and  should 
always  be  resorted  to  when  no  better  arrangement  may  be 
practicable.  But  the  best  way  to  introduce  fresh  air  is 


Fig.  5. 


through  air-chambers  connected  with  the  fire¬ 
place  or  grate,  so  that  it  may  be  warmed  be¬ 
fore  being  thrown  into  the  room.  An  arrange 


ment  of  this  kind,  connected 
with  an  open  fire-place  or 
grate,  is  represented  by  figs.  5 
and  6.  The  fresh  air  enters 
from  the  outside  at  a.  Fig.  5 
is  slightly  warmed  in  the  air- 
chamber  at  the  back  or  side 
of  tbe  fire-place,  3,  and  passes 
into  the  room  by  a  side  open¬ 
ing,  as  shown  at  a ,  fig.  6.  The 
valve  for  the  escape  of  the 


Fig.  6. 


a 

3 


Chimney  Section,  bad  air  is  represented  by  3,  Chimney  Openings. 
fig.  6.  It  is  better,  however,  that  the  opening  for  the  admission 
of  fresh  air  and  the  valve  for  the  escape  of  impure  air  should 
be  on  opposite  sides  of  the  chimney-breast.* 

But  a  perfect  system  of  ventilation,  effective  at  all  seasons 
and  operating  in  all  tbe  apartments  of  the  house,  whether 
furnished  with  fire-places  or  not,  requires  a  series  of  venti¬ 
lating  flues  (the  openings  in  which  must  be  provided  with 
the  necessary  valves),  all  leading  into  a  larger  flue  or  shaft  in 
which  a  current  is  constantly  kept  up,  both  winter  and  sum¬ 
mer.  The  kitchen  fire  furnishes  the  motive  power  required 
It  may  be  effectively  applied  in  various  ways  as  circumstance 
may  require  and  ingenuity  suggest,  aided,  if  necessary,  by  a 
ventilating  cap  at  the  top  of  the  shaft.  Having  mastered  the 
principles  on  which  ventilation  depends,  as  every  one  purpos¬ 
ing  to  ouild  a  house  should  do,  the  rest  will  be  easy. 


*  Downing. 


The  House. 


40 

In  providing  for  the  ventilation  of  your  house,  give  special 
attention  to  the  nursery  and  the  sleeping -rooms,  and  do  not 
forget  the  cellar.  The  last,  if  provided  with  the  outside  door 
and  sliding  sash  windows  we  have  recommended,  may  be  tol 
erably  well  ventilated  in  summer,  while  these  can  be  left  open, 
without  extra  provision  for  that  purpose;  but  in  the  winter 
the  operation  of  a  ventilating  flue  extended  down  from  an  ac¬ 
tive  chimney  flue  is  absolutely  essential  to  anything  like  purity 
of  air  in  such  an  underground  apartment. 

6.  Exterior  Color. — For  the  outside  painting  of  country 
houses,  quiet,  neutral  tints  should  generally  be  chosen.  The 
various  shades  of  fawn,  drab,  gray,  and  brown,  are  all  very 
suitable.  All  the  positive  colors,  such  as  red,  yellow,  blue, 
green,  black,  and  white,  should  always  be  avoided.  Nothing 
can  be  in  worse  taste  than  the  very  common  practice  of  paint¬ 
ing  country  houses  white.  This  color  is  glaring  and  disagree¬ 
able  to  the  eye,  when  presented  in  large  masses;  it  makes  a 
house  an  obtrusive  and  too  conspicuous  object  in  the  landscape ; 
it  does  not  harmonize  with  the  hues  of  nature — standing,  as  it 
were,  harshly  apart  from  all  the  soft  shades  of  the  scene.  Use 
any  other  color  rather  than  white.  Downing  makes  an  ex¬ 
ception  to  this  rule  in  favor  of  cottages  deeply  embowered  in 
trees — the  shadow  of  the  foliage  taking  away  the  harshness  and 
offensiveness  of  the  color ;  but  even  in  such  cases  we  would 
modify  the  white  by  a  slight  admixture  of  chrome  yellow  and 
Indian  red.  Red,  another  glaring  and  disagreeable  color,  is 
a  common  one  for  farm-houses  in  some  parts  of  the  country. 
It  is  scarcely  less  offensive  to  the  eye  than  white. 

Perceiving  the  absurdity  of  painting  country  houses  white, 
nany  have  gone  to  the  other  extreme,  and  given  their  dwell¬ 
ings  a  too  dark  and  somber  hue.  Light,  cheerful,  but  unobtru¬ 
sive  colors,  harmonizing  with  the  prevailing  hues  of  the  country, 
are  most  suitable.  Take  the  colors  of  the  various  earths,  the 
stones,  the  trunks  and  branches  of  trees,  mosses,  and  other 
natural  objects  for  your  guides,  and  you  will  not  go  far  wrong. 
A  quiet  fawn  color  or  drab  and  a  warm  gray— that  is,  a  gray 


H  ouse-Building. 


41 


mixed  with  a  very  little  red  and  some  yellow — are  the  safest 
colors  to  recommend  for  general  use.  The  browns  and  dark 
grays  are  suitable  for  stables  and  out-buildings. 

A  mansion  or  a  villa  should  have  a  somewhat  sober  hue ;  a 
house  of  moderate  size  a  light  and  pleasant  tone ;  and  a  small 
cottage  a  still  lighter  and  livelier  tint.  A  house  exposed  to 
the  view  should  have  a  darker  hue  than  one  that  is  much 
hidden  by  foliage. 

To  produce  the  best  effect,  several  tints  or  shades  of  color 
should  be  used  in  painting  the  exterior  of  a  house ;  and  it  is 
important  that  they  be  judiciously  chosen  and  combined.  If 
the  color  selected  for  the  main  walls  be  light,  the  facings  of 
the  windows,  the  roof  trimmings,  verandas,  etc.,  may  appro¬ 
priately  he  a  darker  shade  of  the  same  color ;  and  if  the  pre¬ 
vailing  color  of  the  building  he  dark,  a  lighter  shade  should  be 
applied  to  the  trimmings.  If  Venetian  blinds  be  used,  the 
solid  parts  of  them  may  be  similar  in  shade  to  the  window 
casings,  but  a  little  darker,  and  the  movable  slats  darkest  of  all. 
If  green  be  preferred  for  the  blinds,  it  should  be  a  very  dark 
green ;  light  and  bright  greens  having  a  flashy  and  disagree¬ 
able  effect. 

6.  Interior  Color,  Wall  Paper ,  etc. — Instead  of  painting 
and  graining  interior  wood-work  in  imitation  of  oak,  black 
walnut,  or  other  dark  wood,  Downing  recommends  to  stain  it, 
so  as  to  give  the  effect  of  the  darker  wood  while  retaining  the 
real  appearance  of  the  grain  of  the  pine  or  other  wood  itself. 
We  give  in  the  Appendix  his  recipe  for  staining  pine  and  other 
soft  woods. 

The  remarks  made  in  th(  preceding  section  in  reference  to 
colors  will  apply  with  slight  modification  to  the  interiors  as 
well  as  the  exteriors  of  houses.  Agreeable  neutral  tints — 
gray,  drab,  fawn  color,  etc. — should  be  given  to  the  walls,  the 
ceilings  alone  being  white,  the  cost  of  a  wash  of  these  tints 
for  a  room  being  only  a  few  cents  greater  than  that  of  a  white¬ 
wash.  When  walls  are  to  be  papered,  colors  and  patterns 
should  be  chosen  with  reference  to  the  same  principles.  I# 


42 


The  House. 


architectural  paper  be  used,  it  must  be  in  the  same  style  as  the 
house — an  Italian  or  Grecian  room  in  a  Gothic  cottage  not 
being  quite  appropriate. 

The  best  effect  is  produced  by  having  the  ceiling  lightest, 
the  side  walls  a  little  darker,  the  wood-work  a  shade  darker 
still,  and  the  carpet  darkest  of  all.*  The  hall  and  all  passages 
and  staircases  should  be  of  a  cool,  sober  tone  of  color,  and 
simple  in  decoration. 

7.  Roofing. — For  the  general  purposes  of  roofing  for  country 
houses  there  is  no  good  material  perhaps  so  generally  available 
as  shingles.  Slate  forms  an  excellent  covering,  but  in  most 
localities  is  far  too  costly  for  ordinary  use.  Tin  serves  a  good 
purpose  when  well  put  on ;  but  on  account  of  its  tendency  to 
expand  and  contract,  is  somewhat  liable  to  get  out  of  order. 
Thick  canvas  is  good  for  the  flat  roofs  of  verandas  and  other 
small  surfaces.! 

8.  Stucco.- — Stuccoing  or  outside  plastering  has  been  tried  to 
a  considerable  extent  in  this  country ;  but  generally  with  indif¬ 
ferent  success.  The  stucco,  so  far  as  our  observation  extends, 
soon  cracks  and  begins  to  peel  off  under  the  sudden  and  fierce 
alternations  of  heat  and  cold  to  which  our  climate  is  subject. 
Mr.  Downing — high  authority  in  such  matters — however, 
speaks  favorably  of  stuccoing  for  rough  walls,  and  expresses 
the  opinion  that  the  cause  of  its  failure  is  that  it  is  so  imper¬ 
fectly  understood,  and  consequently  so  badly  practiced  in  this 
country.  We  copy  his  directions  in  our  Appendix.! 

9.  Rough- Cast. — Rough-cast  is  a  species  of  cheap  and  du¬ 
rable  cement  adapted  to  farm-houses  and  the  plainer  kind  of 
rural  cottages.  It  is  adapted,  like  stucco,  to  rough  walls.  Se 
Appendix  for  directions  for  preparing  and  applying  it.§ 

10.  Drainage. — Efficient  drainage  for  the  sewerage  ana 
waste  water  must  be  provided  for  in  every  plan  for  a  country 
house.  Four  or  five  inch  earthen  pipes  are  best  to  connect 


*  Downing. 

t  See  Appendix  i'F)  for  something  more  about  roofing  material*. 
+  (F.)  §  Ibid. 


House-Building. 


43 


the  cess-pool  with  the  house.  They  must  he  “trapped,”  so 
that  there  shall  be  no  continuous  air-passage  through  which 
noxious  gases  may  rise.  The  cess-pool  must  not  be  near  the 
well. 

11.  Trees,  Shrills ,  and  Vines. — We  have  no  space  to  devote 
to  landscape  gardening,  which,  although  closely  related  to  rural 
architecture,  lies  beyond  the  scope  of  our  plan.  We  can  only 
say,  plant  trees,  shrubs,  and  vines  by  all  means ;  but  call  tastf. 
and  judgment  to  your  aid  in  choosing  and  arranging  them. 
The  largest  masses  of  foliage  should  not  be  placed  in  front,  but 
should  flank  and  form  a  background  for  the  house.  Placed  too 
near  a  house,  trees  of  dense  foliage  create  dampness,  injure  the 
walls  and  roof,  and  impede  the  circulation  of  the  air.  A  dra¬ 
pery  of  vines  creeping  or  trailing  over  them,  and  twining  around 
the  porches,  verandas,  and  windows,  are  among  the  most  beau¬ 
tiful  and  appropriate  decorations  for  a  cottage ;  and  they  are 
within  the  reach  of  everybody  and  should  be  universally  em¬ 
ployed. 


VII.— COMMON  ERRORS  AND  ABSURDITIES. 

The  errors  and  absurdities  in  rural  architecture  committed 
in  this  country  (and  other  countries  are  not  free  from  them) 
are  too  numerous  to  admit  even  an  enumeration  here.  The 
following  are  a  few  of  the  commonest  and  most  glaring  ones : 

1.  Building  a  cottage  of  the  dimensions  of  twenty  feet  by 
thirty,  in  imitation  of  a  Grecian  temple,  with  lofty  columns  of 
pain  Led  wood,  forming  a  grand  portico  in  front. 

2.  Building  castellated  villas  with  towers  and  battlements  of 
thin  pine  boards. 

3.  Illustrating  the  Gothic  style  “run  mad,”  in  wooden  cot¬ 
tages  composed  principally  of  gables,  and  looking,  Downing 
says,  as  if  they  had  been  “  knocked  into  a  cocked  hat.” 

4.  Giving  examples  of  all  the  principal  styles  of  architecture 


44 


The  II  OUSE. 


in  the  same  house — the  roof,  for  instance,  belonging  to  one  style 
and  age ;  the  doors  and  windows  to  another ;  and  the  porches 
and  verandas  to  a  third.  Corinthian  columns  supporting 
Gothic  arches !  Very  fine! 

5.  Imitating  a  villa  in  a  diminutive  cottage,  and  jovering  it 
all  over  with  frippery  and  “  gingerbread  work.” 

6.  Supposing  that  ornament  and  beauty  in  architecture  are 
synonymous,  and  consist  in  something  extraneous  and  super- 
added. 

7.  Building  houses  to  look  at  rather  than  to  live  in,  and 
thereby  making  them  “  distressingly  fine.” 

8.  Finishing  and  furnishing  a  splendid  parlor  for  visitors 
and  to  “show  off,”  and  living  in  a  bare-walled,  smoky,  un¬ 
comfortable  kitchen  all  one’s  life. 

9.  Imitating  marble  and  granite  in  lath  and  plaster,  and 
oak  and  walnut  in  soft  pine  and  hemlock. 

10.  Surrounding  a  house  in  the  extreme  North  with  veran¬ 
das  or  arcades,  and  building  a  Southern  one  without  them. 

11.  Mounting  outside  Venetian  blinds  upon  a  Gothic  cottage 
or  villa. 

12.  Building  a  Swiss  chalet  or  cottage  on  a  level  village 
street,  or  a  narrow,  three-story  brick  house  to  stand  dignifiedly 
apart  in  a  wild,  secluded  valley. 

13.  Painting  country  houses  white  or  red. 

14.  Building  in  haste  to  repent  at  leisure ;  or  building  a 
house  first  and  planning  it  afterward. 

15.  Building  temporary  shelters  instead  of  honm. 


Cottages  of  One  Stoby. 


45 


III. 


COTTAGES  OF  ONE  STORY. 


I  knew  by  the  smoko  that  so  gracefully  curled 
Above  the  green  elms,  that  a  cottage  was  near. — Moon. 

X. — PRELIMINARY  REMARKS. 

-== — ===  r-i  COTTAGE  of  one  story,  in  the  sense 
in  which  we  shall  employ  the  term, 
i  LTLi  is  one  in  which  the  side  walls  do 
is  not  rise  above  the  second  floor, 
which  forms,  as  it  were,  the  base  of 
.  the  roof. 

§£»  When  properly  constructed,  such 
cottages  are  both  convenient  and 
attractive.  They  favor  economy  of  labor  (no  climbing  of  stairs 
being  required),  and  are  pleasing  and  unobtrusive  objects  in  the 
landscape ;  while  small  houses,  carried  up  two  or  three  stories 
in  height,  although  they  may  be  economically  built,  are  far  less 
conducive  to  labor  saving,  and,  in  the  country  at  least,  present 
a  most  unsightly  appearance. 

The  foundation  walls  of  all  low  cottages  should  be  raised 
somewhat  above  the  level  of  the  surrounding  ground.  They 
should  be  plain  and  simple  in  style  and  finish,  the  foliage  of 
creeping  and  climbing  plants  furnishing  their  most  appropri¬ 
ate  ornament. 

In  the  designs  which  follow,  we  have  endeavored  to  keep  in 
mind  the  wants  of  small  families  of  limited  means,  and  have 
aimed  to  show  how  the  largest  amount  of  convenience  and 
comfort  may  be  secured  for  the  smallest  sum  of  money,  and  at 
the  same  time  to  impress  upon  the  reader’s  mind  the  fact  that, 
because  a  cottage  may  be  small  and  cheap,  it  need  not  there- 


46 


The  House 


fore  the  ugly.  Taste  need  not  always  necessarily  add  to  ex¬ 
pense,  and  the  expression  of  beauty  need  not  be  lacking  even 
in  the  rudest  cabin  or  shanty. 

II.- A  LOO  CABIN. 

As  our  first  design,  we  present  a  log  cabin — a  kind  of  dwelling 
which  must  continue  to  be  common  for  a  long  time  to  come,  in 

Fig.  T 


Pf.espkctivf,  View. 


parts  of  the  West  and  South.  The  plan  requires  no  explana¬ 
tion,  Space  may  be  saved  by  building  an  outside  chimney  at 
each  end,  instead  of  the  central  one  represented  in  the  plan.  In 
a  warm  climate  the  former  is  the  better  mode ;  but  the  un¬ 
sightly  projections  thus  formed  should  be  covered  with  climb¬ 
ing  and  creeping  plants.  Nowhere  can  the  Virginia  creeper, 
the  ivy,  the  jasmine,  the  trumpet  flower,  the  clematis,  the 
climbing  roses,  etc.,  be  more  appropriately  disposed  than  around 
the  veranda,  windows,  and  gables  of  a  log  cabin.  Our  artist 
nas  been  rather  sparing  of  them,  as  also  Of  trees  in  the  accom¬ 
panying  design,  but  they  should  be  supplied  in  abundance. 
They  are  cheap  adornments,  and  come  within  the  reach  of  all 
In  their  proper  place,  the  skill  of  the  best  architect  can  substi 


Cottages  of  One  Stoey. 


47 


tute  nothing  equal¬ 
ly  satisfactory. 

The  leading  ex¬ 
ternal  feature  in 
the  foregoing  per¬ 
spective  view  is 
the  veranda  in 
front,  covered  by 
the  projecting  roof. 
Its  rustic  posts 
should  be  covered 
with  vines,  among 
which  the  grape 
might  appropriate¬ 
ly  have  a  place. 


Fig.  8. 


Geound  Plan. 


III. — A  HEXAGON  PLAN. 

A  Western  correspondent,  Mr.  W.  Holly,  of  St.  Louis,  fur¬ 
nishes  the  accompanying  as  an  economical,  simple,  and  con- 


Fig.  9. 


venient  plan  for  in¬ 
closing  and  dividing  a 
given  space.  The 
rooms,  it  will  be  seen, 
are  all  of  the  same 
size  and  form,  and  pre¬ 
sent  the  most  compact 
arrangement  possible. 

A  single  chimney,  in 
„he  center,  furnishes 
fire-places  for  them  all. 

Omitting  its  fire-place, 
the  bed-room  might  be 
divided  by  a  partition  Mexagon  Pla*- 

in  the  center,  thus  giving  two  small  sleeping  apartments. 
With  plain  walls  and  a  flat  roof,  such  a  house  could  be  put  up 


The  jTouse. 


48 

on  the  prairies  or  in  the  forests  of  the  West  for  a  very  sr«*l] 
sum ;  and  we  do  not  see  how  the  same  amount  of  accommoda¬ 
tion  can  be  more  economically  obtained. 

IV.— A  PLAN  FOE  THREE  ROOMS,  ETC. 

This  excellent  plan  for  a  three-roomed  cottage  is  borrowed, 

with  modifications, 
from  Village  and 
Farm  Cottages”  by 
Cleveland  &  Back¬ 
us  Brothers.  It  ex¬ 
plains  itseif ;  and  we 
venture  to  say  that 
a  better  arrange¬ 
ment  of  the  same 
amount  of  space  can 
not  easily  be  de¬ 
vised.  A  plain  but 
substantial  and  plea¬ 
sing  little  structure 
on  this  plan,  with 
the  inside  walls  all 
neatly  papered,  a 
low  projecting  roof, 
and  plain  hoods 
over  the  windows, 
would  cost,  in  this 
vicinity,  from  $550 
to  $650.  The  laundry  and  wood-room  would  naturally  be  cov 
ered  by  a  lean-to  roof,  or  they  might  be  omitted.  If  a  cellai 
should  be  required,  it  might  be  under  the  kitchen,  and  entered 
from  the  wood-room. 


Estimates.— The  circumstances  on  which  the  cost  of  a  house 
will  depend  vary  so  greatly  with  time  and  place,  that  estimates 
made  without  a  knowledge  of  these  circumstances  are  only  us&- 


Fig.  10. 


A— Li  ving  Room .  14.0  x  15.0 

B— Hall .  6.0  x  8.0 

C-BedRoom .  12  0x16.6 

H — Kitchen .  12  0  x  15.0 

E— Wood  Room .  7.0  x  8.0 

F— Laundry .  6.0  x  8.0 

G — Closets . 


Cottages  of  One  Story 


49 


ftil  as  a  basis  of  comparison  and  calculation.  Where  estimates 
are  given  in  this  work,  they  are  calculated  for  the  vicinity  of 
New  York,  and  based  on  the  following  valuation  in  gold: 


Timber .  at  $20  00  per  1,000  feet. 


Rough  boards. 

Good  lumber  (planed). 

Bricks . 

Nails . 

Glass . 

Carpenter’s  work . 

Mason’s  work . 

Common  labor . 


20  00  “  “ 
22  00  “  “ 

6  00  “  “ 
05  “  lb. 

4  00  “  box. 
1  75  “  day. 
1  75  “  “ 

1  00  “  “ 


Whenever  the  cost  of  labor  and  materials  is  greater  or  less 
than  that  given  in  the  foregoing  table,  the  proper  allowance 
must  be  made. 

V.— A  SOUTHERN  COTTAGE. 


This  differs  widely  from  all  our  previous  designs,  and  indi¬ 
cates  its  adaptation  to  a  different  climate  and  different  social 


customs  and  habits.  Its  principal  features  are  the  veranda, 
which  extends  on  all  sides,  and  the  broad  hall  running  through 
the  center.  This  hall  furnishes  access  to  every  room,  and  facil- 

8 


50 


The  House. 


itates  a  free  circulation  of  air  through  the  house.  The  living- 
room  and  the  large  bed-room  may  change  places,  where  the 
situation  and  aspect  render  such  a  change  desirable.  The  bay 

Fig.  12. 

$  »  ~  •  •  s  s  • 

I 

I 


»  » _ • _ « _ • _ • _ • _ • 

Pla s  or  a  Southern  Cottage. 

window  adds  much  to  the  beauty  and  comfort  of  the  parlor, 
but  may  be  omitted  if  considerations  of  economy  require. 

The  elevation  is  plain  but  not  unattractive,  and,  in  its  exter¬ 
nal  features,  very  distinctly  expresses  its  character  as  a  South¬ 
ern  dwelling. 

This  will  be  found  a  comfortable  and  convenient  home  for  a 
planter  of  small  estate  and  means,  or  for  an  overseer  on  a  large 
plantation.  Its  cost  will  vary  much  in  different  parts  of  the 
South.  Built  of  wood,  as  represented  in  our  perspective  view, 
from  $650  to  $700  would  perhaps  be  an  average  estimate. 


Cottages  of  One  Stoky. 


51 


Verandas.* — The  veranda  is  an  essential  feature  of  the 
Southern  house.  It  should  extend  the  entire  length  of  two 
sides,  at  least,  and  it  is  better  that  it  should  encircle  the  whole 
building.  It  may,  however,  if  desired,  be  either  wholly  or 
partially  inclosed  on  the  north  side,  forming  small  rooms  under 
its  roof,  as  shown  in  fig.  52.  There  should  be  ventilating 
hooded  apertures  in  the  roof  of  the  veranda  for  the  escape  of 
the  heated  air,  which  otherwise  accumulates  under  it. 

YI. — ANOTHER  CHEAP  COTTAGE  PLAN. 

Figs.  13  and  14  represent  a  plan  for  a  house  which  would 


conveniently  accommodate  a  small  family,  and  could  he  built  at 
a  small  cost — say  from  $500  to  $600.  The  general  arrangement 
of  the  first  floor  is  readily  seen,  and  requires  no  explanation. 


Fig.  14. 


Fig.  18. 


*  In  this  country  a  veranda  is  often  improperly  called  a  piazza.  The  latter 
is  properly  a  more  solid  structure,  and  is  defined  as  “  a  continued  archway  or 
vaulting  supported  by  pillars.” 


52 


The  House. 


The  veranda  and  projecting  portion  of  the  kitchen  are  to 
be  covered  by  a  continuation  of  the  main  roof  on  that  side ; 
and  the  store-room  and  large  pantry  back  of  the  kitchen  and 
bed-room  by  a  lean-to  roof.  The  spring  of  the  roof  above  the 
upper  floor  must  be  high  enough  to  give  head  room  at  the 
landing  of  the  stairs.  This  will  allow  the  attic  to  be  divided, 
as  shown  by  fig.  14.  _ 

Docks. — Entrance  doors  should  furnish  means  of  ventilation 
without  being  opened,  either  by  means  of  side-lights,  or  fan¬ 
lights  hung  on  hinges,  or  by  ornamental  iron  gratings  with 
solid  or  glazed  panels,  similarly  hung,  on  the  inside. 

Every  entrance  from  without  should  open  into  a  hall,  entry, 
or  lobby,  to  prevent  the  direct  entrance  of  cold,  and  secure 
privacy. 

VII.— A  PLAN  FOE  KEPEATED  ADDITIONS. 

It  often  happens  that  a  man  who  may  reasonably  expect  to 
be  able,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  to  build  a  large  and  hand¬ 
some  house,  is  obliged  to  commence  with  a  very  limited  amount 
of  means.  He  might  procure  the  necessary  funds,  perhaps,  by 
means  of  “  bond  and  mortgage,”  but  he  chooses  to  take  what 
seems  to  him  a  safer  and  better  course.  He  resolves  to  put  up 
so  much  of  his  house  as  he  can  pay  for,  and  no  more,  even  if  it 
be  but  a  single  room ;  and  to  complete  the  projected  structure 
by  repeated  additions,  as  bis  means  accumulate.  To  do  this 
advantageously,  the  whole  building  must  be  planned  at  the  com¬ 
mencement.  The  accompanying  plans  were  suggested  and  de¬ 
signed  to  meet  the  requirements  of  a  case  like  the  one  supposed. 

Our  enterprising,  energetic,  and  independent  proprietor  (as 
we  will  suppose)  of  a  village  lot  first  throws  up  the  four  walls, 
inclosing  what  is  called  in  the  plan  the  dining-room,  to  the 
height  of  one  story,  and  covers  them  with  a  roof ;  the  whole 
being  designed  in  strict  accordance  with  the  style  of  the  build¬ 
ing  of  which  it  is  to  form  a  part.  The  apartment  thus  formed 
constitutes  for  a  brief  period  his  parlor,  dining-room,  kitchen, 
and  perhaps  his  bed-room,  although  if  he  adopts  the  high  pitched 


Cottages  of  One  Stort. 


53 


roof  he  may  have  two  small  attic  rooms  above,  reached  by  a 
staircase  afterward  to  be  removed.  A  lean-to,  comprising  the 
adjoining  bed-room,  may  be  cheaply  erected,  and  is  soon  added 

Fig.  15. 


The  kitchen,  another  lean-to,  is  next  built,  and  the  house  be¬ 
comes  a  comfortable  and  convenient  one  for  a  small  family. 
Our  friend  can  now  wait  several  years,  if  necessary,  before 


54 


The  House. 


building  the  main  edifice,  represented  on  the  plan  by  tbe  black 
lines;  interposing  in  tbe  mean  time,  if  be  chooses,  another 
story  over  the  dining-room. 

The  parts  now  erected  form  quite  a  complete  and  commo¬ 
dious  little  house  of  themselves,  and  this  part  of  the  plan  may 
he  adopted,  by  itself,  in  cases  in  which  its  accommodations  are 


Fig.  16. 


sufficient.  In  this  case,  there  would  be  a  door  at  a ,  and  a  hall 
and  staircase  (for  which  there  is  ample  space)  at  5,  as  repre¬ 
sented  by  the  dotted  line.  There  is  supposed  to  be  a  cellar 
under  the  dining-room  and  kitchen,  the  original  part  being 
entered  at  first  only  from  the  outside. 

The  second-floor  plan  shows  four  rooms  besides  a  bath-room, 


Cottages  of  One  Stoey.  55 

and  ample  closet  accommodations.  There  should  be  a  balcony 
at  B,  although  not  so  represented  in  the  plan. 

This  plan  will  admit  a  Gothic  elevation,  but  is,  perhaps, 
rather  better  adapted  to  the  Italian  style. 

Plans. — Desiring  to  give  as  large  a  number  of  plans  as  pos¬ 
sible  within  the  limits  allowed  us,  we  insert  a  number  of  them 
without  elevations.  The  elevations  given  will  illustrate  the 
various  styles  of  domestic  architecture  adapted  to  our  climate 
and  habits,  and,  with  the  necessary  changes  in  general  outlines, 
can  readily  be  adapted  to  other  plans. 


Scale.— Our  plans,  with  a  few  exceptions  specified  in  the 
proper  place,  are  drawn  to  the  scales  of  sixteen  and  thirty-two 
feet  to  the  inch.  Most  of  the  geometrical  elevations  are  on  the 
scale  of  sixteen  feet  to  the  inch ;  but  in  the  perspective  views 
it  has  not  been  practicable  to  adhere  to  a  scale. 


Water-Closets. — Where  running  water  can  be  introduced 
into  a  house  and  facilities  for  complete  drainage  exist,  water- 
closets  may  be  constructed  in  a  country  house  without  great 
trouble  or  expense,  and  will  operate  satisfactorily;  but  unless 
all  the  arrangements  connected  with  them  can  be  made  per¬ 
fectly  effective ,  we  would  not  advise  their  introduction,  as  they 
sometimes  become  intolerable  nuisances. 

As  a  matter  of  economy  the  bath-room  and  water-closets 
are  generally  placed  in  connection.  It  is  decidedly  preferable, 
however,  where  it  is  practicable  to  do  so,  to  separate  them 
entirely.  _ 

Outside  Painting. — The  best  time  to  paint  the  outside  of  a 
house  is  late  in  the  fall,  as  the  paint  hardens  better  and  lasts 
much  longer  than  when  put  on  during  the  summer. 


Rats  in  Cellars. — To  prevent  rats  from  burrowing  into 
cellars,  either  make  a  good  water-lime  floor,  or  else  build  the 


56 


The  House. 


wall  on  a  close-jointed  flagging,  laid  some  inches  below  the 
bottom  of  the  cellar,  and  projecting  three  or  four  inches  be¬ 
yond  the  wall.  The  rat  burrows  down  next  to  the  wall, 
reaches  the  flagging,  and  can  not  pass  through  it,  never,  in 
any  case,  working  back  to  the  edge. — Rural  Annual. 


VIII.— AN  EXTEMPOHE  HOUSE. 

On  the  prairies  and  in  the  forests  of  the  great  "West  the 
'■'■squatter,'1''  or  claimant  of  pre-emption  right  on  the  govern¬ 
ment  lands,  throws  up  a  little  cabin  or  shanty  as  one  of  the 
conditions  on  which  he  is  to  make  his  claim  good.  It  is  an 
extempore  affair,  but  serves  its  purpose,  and  by-  and-by  is  pulled 
down.  It  may  be  built  of  logs  or  of  sawed  lumber ;  and  there 
is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  present  as  attractive  and  home¬ 
like  an  exterior  as  that  represented  below. 


Fig.  17. 


A  Westekn  Cottage. 


Story- and- a-IIalf  Cottages.  57 


IV. 


STORY-A ND-A-HALF  COTTAGES. 


Homes  for  household  comfort  built. — May. 

I.— PRELIMINARY  REMARKS. 

UR  attention  will  now  be  directed  to 
cottages  of  a  story  and  a  half.  In 
houses  properly  thus  designated  the 
side  walls  rise  from  two  to  five  feet 
above  the  second  floor.  They  usually 
have  either  dormer  or  low,  short  win¬ 
dows  in  the  sides.  They  afford  hand¬ 
some  and  commodious  chambers,  and 
are  among  the  best  and  most  economical  of 
small,  cheap  houses,  the  additional  expense 
of  the  half  story  being  comparatively  small. 

Our  designs  for  houses  of  this  sort  will  be  found,  we  think, 
to  combine,  so  far  as  is  possible,  the  qualities  of  economy, 
convenience,  and  beauty.  They  are  generally  compact  and 
simple  in  plan,  and  plain  but  substantial  in  construction,  and 
present  a  modest  and  unpretending  but  pleasing  exterior.  We 
have  had  practical  utility  constantly  in  view  in  designing  them, 
and  we  flatter  ourself  that  all  our  plans  will  “  work” — that 
they  will  look  as  well  and  prove  as  satisfactory  on  the  ground 
as  on  paper. 

II. — PLANS  FOR  A  SMALL  COTTAGE. 

These  plans  exhibit  an  arrangement  of  rooms  well  adapted  to 
the  use  of  a  mechanic  or  laborer  of  small  family  and  limited 
means.  The  living-room  is  a  handsome  apartment  of  good  size, 

3* 


58 


The  House. 


entered  from  the  lobby  or  ball,  and  also  communicating  with 
the  kitchen.  One  chimney  suffices  for  both.  The  lean-to 
part,  extended  beyond  the  kitchen,  affords  space  for  the  cellar 
staircase,  a  passage  to  the  back  entrance,  a  room  for  fuel,  etc., 
and  a  large  closet  or  pantry.  The  stairs  by  which  the  second 
door  is  reached  commence  in  the  kitchen,  the  first  two  steps 


Fig.  18. 


Fig.  19. 


Second  Floor  Plan. 


projecting  beyond  the  wall  inside.  The  closet  next  the  stairs 
is  4.6X5  clear,  besides  the  available  space  under  the  stairs. 
The  chamber  plan  shows  three  sleeping  apartments,  with  ample 
closet  accommodations.  A  cellar  extending  under  the  kitchen 
and  the  lean-to  part  would  be  sufficient.  This  plan  is  on  the 
scale  of  twenty-four  feet  to  an  inch.  A  plain  and  simple  eleva¬ 
tion,  similar  to  that  represented  by  fig.  27,  would  be  suitable 
for  this  plan. 


III. — AN  ITALIAN  COTTAGE. 

The  plans  and  elevations  next  presented  were  designed  for 
this  work  bv  E.  E.  Graef,  Architect. 

This  design  is  simple,  and  requires  little  explanation!  A 
cellar  under  a  part  of  the  house,  as  shown,  will  be  found  suf- 


Stoky-and-a-Half  Cottages.  59 

ficient.  It  is  made  easy  of  access  from  the  kitchen,  and 
should  an  outside  entrance  be  required,  it  may  be  had  at  a 


Fig.  20. 


small  additional  expense.  The  first  story  has  a  main  and 
back  entrance,  the  former  covered  by  a  porch;  a  parlor;  a 

Fig.  21. 


living-room  ;  a  kitchen  of  good  size  ;  and  ample  closet  accom¬ 
modations. 

The  kitchen  part  of  the  house,  in  order  to  save  expense  in 
the  foundation,  and  to  gain  more  height  in  the  garret,  is  set 


60 


The  House. 


Cellar  Plan. 


two  risers,  or  about  sixteen  inches,  lower  than  the  main  floor, 
FiS-  22-  The  attic,  or  second  floor, 

affords  two  fine  bedrooms, 
with  closets,  and  a  useful 
open  garret. 

The  peculiar  feature  of 
this  design  is  the  one 
chimney,  which  answers 
for  all  the  rooms.  The 
flue  of  the  kitchen  fire¬ 
place  is  brought  over  to 
the  chimney  at  the  ceiling  of  the  interven¬ 
ing  closet,  so  as  to  be  entirely  out  of  sight 
and  without  taking  away  any  room,  and 
the  parlor  has  a  blind  mantle  with  a  stove¬ 
pipe  hole,  connecting  also  with  the  chim¬ 
ney  by  passing  under  the  stairs. 

This  cottage  can  be  built  for  $595 ;  or 
if  inclosed  with  clear,  narrow  clap-boards,  for  about  $16  more. 

F‘g-  23-  As  an  example  to 

show  the  form  of 
such  a  document, 
we  give  in  the 
Appendix  (I)  Mr. 
Graef’s  specifica¬ 
tions  for  such  a 
cottage. 

Building  foe 
Show. — We  often- 
er  build  to  gratify  the  eyes  of  the 
public  than  our  own,  and  fit  up 
our  dwellings  to  accommodate 
“  company,”  or  visitors,  rather 
than  our  own  families ;  and  in  the 
indulgence  of  this  false  notion,  sub 
Fimw  Floor  Plan.  ject  ourselves  to  perpetual  incon 


Stoky-and-a-Half  Cottages. 


61 


venience  for  the  gratification  of  occasional  hospitality,  or  osten¬ 
tation. — L.  F.  Allen. 


Fig.  24.  Speaking  Tubes. — 

Speaking  tubes  may  be 
introduced  with  advan¬ 
tage  into  all  houses,  espe¬ 
cially  those  of  more  than 
one  story.  By  their  means 
a  sort  of  telegraphic  com¬ 
munication  may  be  kept 
up  between  the  kitchen 
and  other  parts  of  the 
house.  They  are  particu¬ 
larly  useful  in  the  dining-room  and  family 
bedroom,  where  they  save  much  time  and 
labor.  They  are  merely  tin  tubes  of  one 
and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  terminated 
by  mouth-pieces,  one  of  which  is  in  the 
Second  Floor  Plan,  kitchen  and  the  other  in  the  connected 
apartment.  Their  cost  is  trifling. 


BED  ROOM 

11X15 


IT.— AN  ENGLISH  COTTAGE  PLAN. 

The  first-floor  plan  of  this  design  is  modified  from  one  found 
Fig.  25. 


First  Floor  Plan. 


62 


The  House. 


In  Field’s  “  Rural  Architecture,”  and  there  said  to  be  of  En¬ 
glish  origin.  It  presents  a  compact  arrangement  of  rooms, 
with  no  waste  space,  and  admits  a  symmetrical  elevation 
either  in  the  pointed  or  in  the  Italian  style,  as  may  be  desired. 
The  number  of  angles  in  the  outside  walls,  however,  renders  it 
considerably  more  expensive  to  build  thaD  a  square  house  with 


Fig.  26. 


equal  interior  accommodations.  Many  will  consider  the  supe¬ 
rior  beauty  of  such  a  building  a  full  compensation  for  the  extra 
expense. 

The  bath-room,  on  the  second  floor,  is  to  be  lighted  by  hav¬ 
ing  the  upper  half  of  the  door  glazed  with  ground  glass.  The 
opening  marked  A  is  to  be  an  arch.  The  kitchen  flue  is  to  be 
carried  through  the  wall  into  the  jamb  of  the  adjoining  bedroom 
fire-place.  In  the  dining-room,  and  in  the  bedroom  over  it, 
closets  are  obtained,  and  the  effect  of  a  bay  secured  by  recess¬ 
ing  one  of  the  windows,  a  method  which  may  frequently  be 
adopted  with  advantage. 

Y.-A  SUBURBAN  COTTAGE. 

This  design  represents  a  small,  but  comfortable  and  conve¬ 
nient  house  for  a  family  requiring  but  a  moderate  amount  of 
space.  As  shown,  it  is  better  adapted  for  a  village  or  suburban 
residence  than  for  a  farm-house,  but  with  a  little  change  in  its 
plan  would  answer  well  for  the  latter. 


63 


Story-and-a-I1alf  Cottages. 

Fig.  2T. 


Pebspeotiye  View. 


On  the  first  floor  an  ample  hall  (7x  13)  furnishes  access  to  a 
good-sized  parlor  (13X17)  and  a  convenient  kitchen  (15x15) 


Fig.  28. 


(which  will  also  serve  as  a  dining-room),  with  a  large  pantrj 
and  a  wash-room  attached.  On  the  other  side  of  the  kitchen 


64 


The  House. 


or  dining-room  is  a  commodious  family  bedroom  (12X15) 
with  a  fire-place  and  two  large  closets.  The  height  of  wall  in 
F>g-  29-  this  story  is  8  feet. 

The  second,  or  attic,  floor 
affords  four  good  rooms,  the 
walls  rising  four  feet  above  the 
floor  and  the  roof  having  a 
high  pitch.  The  two  front 
chambers  communicate  by  a 
door,  in  order  that  they  may 
be  used  in  connection  or  sep¬ 
arately,  as  may  be  desired. 
The  two  in  the  rear  may  be 
very  prettily  finished  by  arch¬ 
ing  the  ceiling. 

The  cellar  extends  under  the 
parlor  and  hall.  It  is  4)  feet  excavation  and  1£  above  ground. 

This  house  can  be  built  of  wood,  in  a  plain  but  good  and 
substantial  manner,  a  hundred  miles  from  Hew  York,  for  about 
$800.  It  might  be  much  improved  by  the  addition  of  a  bay 
window  in  the  parlor  and  a  veranda  in  front  of  the  wing  or  L 
part.  If  designed  for  a  farm-house,  the  wing  might  be  extended 
in  the  rear,  so  as  to  furnish  the  additional  accommodations 
required.  In  short,  this  is  a  plan  which  can  be  adapted  to 
circumstances.  Its  dimensions  may  be  reduced  to  one  story, 
rendering  the  cost  less  than  our  estimate,  or  it  may  be  made 
two  full  stories  in  height  with  the  same  size  of  rooms,  or  larger 
ones,  without  at  all  interfering  with  the  general  arrangement, 

VI.— A  SMALL  GOTHIC  COTTAGE.* 

This  is  another  of  Mr.  Graef’s  designs,  and  shows  an  admir¬ 
able  arrangement  of  accommodations  for  a  family  of  six  o* 
seven  persons. 

The  l'uoms  on  the  first  floor  may  all  be  used  in  connection 


Second  Floor  Plan. 


Stoky- and- a-Half  Cottages 


65 


or  each  separately,  as  may  be  desired.  Thus,  if  the  kitchen  be 
used  as  a  dining-room  also,  as  is  often  the  case  in  houses  like 


66 


The  House. 


this,  the  apartment  designated  as  a  dining-room  may  bo  used 
as  the  family  bedroom. 


Story-and- a-H alf  Cottages. 


67 


If  desirable,  the  two  main  bedrooms  on  the  second  floor  may 
communicate  in  the  same  way  as  the  parlor  and  dining-room 
below.  There  is  a  good-sized  cock-loft  of  easy  access,  in  which 
another  small  bedroom  might  be  arranged. 

This  design,  with  dormer  windows,  veranda,  hood  over  the 
back  door,  and  tracery  on  the  gables,  as  shown,  can  be  execu¬ 
ted  for  $1,125.  The  same  ground  plan,  with  elevations  finished 
in  a  plain,  bracketed  style,  without  dormer  windows,  may  be 
executed  for  $125  less. 


Attio  Rooms. — All  attic  rooms,  even  in  the  plainest  house, 
should  be  back-plastered  between  the  rafters.  This  costs  but 
little,  and  serves  to  render  the  rooms  cooler  in  summer  and 
warmer  in  winter  than  they  otherwise  would  be. 


Architectural  Finery. — “  I  am  no  advocate  for  meanness  of 
private  habitation.  I  would  fain  introduce  into  it  all  magnif¬ 
icence,  care,  and  beauty,  where  they  are  possible ;  but  I  would 
not  have  that  useless  expense  in  unnoticed  fineries  or  formal¬ 
ities;  cornicings  of  ceilings  and  graining  of  doors,  and  fringing 
of  curtains,  and  thousands  such  things,  which  have  become 
foolishly  and  apathetically  habitual — things  on  whose  common 
appliance  hang  whole  trades,  to  which  there  never  yet  belonged 
the  blessing  of  giving  one  ray  of  real  pleasure,  or  becoming  of 
the  remotest  or  most  contemptible  use — things  which  cause 
half  the  expense  of  life,  and  destroy  more  than  half  its  comfort, 
manliness,  respectability,  freshness,  and  facility.  I  speak  from 
experience ;  I  know  what  it  is  to  live  in  a  cottage  with  a  deal 
floor  and  roof,  and  a  hearth  of  mica  slate ;  and  I  know  it  to  be 
in  many  respects  healthier  and  happier  than  living  between  a 
Turkey  carpet  and  gilded  ceiling,  besides  a  steel  grate  and  pol¬ 
ished  fender.” — EusTcin. 


A  New  Method  of  Ventilation. — A  syphon  ventilator, 
applicable  to  the  ventilation  of  houses,  ships,  etc.,  has  lately 
been  patented  in  England.  The  principle  of  the  invention 


68 


The  Housi 


consists  in  creating,  by  means  of  a  tube  or  shaft  fixed  in  the 
roof  of  a  building,  two  opposite  currents,  one  of  which  carries 
off  the  impure  air  while  the  other  introduces  fresh  air,  the  tem¬ 
perature  being  regulated  by  simple  appliances  in  the  shape  of 
valves.  This  ventilator  never  permits  the  accumulation  of  foul 
air  at  the  top  of  an  apartment.  In  summer  time,  by  opening 
the  valves  to  the  full  extent,  the  temperature  may  be  rendered 
the  same  within  as  without ;  while  in  winter  time,  the  artificial 
heat,  by  means  of  fires  or  warming  apparatus,  of  whatever 
nature,  causes  the  impure  air  to  ascend  with  such  a  degree  of 
velocity  that,  by  partially  opening  the  valves,  it  is  carried  away 
very  rapidly. 

VII.-A  SYMMETRICAL  COTTAGE. 

This  is  a  house  of  greater  pretension,  in  reference  to  style, 
and  of  higher  cost  than  either  of  the  preceding.  Its  symrnet- 


Fig.  34. 


Perspective  View. 


rical  form,  handsome  porch,  and  ample  verandas  give  it  an  ex¬ 
pression  of  elegance  combined  with  convenience  and  comfort. 


Story- an d- a- H alf  Cottages. 


69 


The  various  apartments  on  the  first  floor  are  compactly  anc 
conveniently  arranged,  each  being  accessible  from  the  hall 
without  passing  through  another.  The  dining-room,  whiqh 
may  also  be  used  as  tbe  common  family  sitting-room,  is  a  good- 
sized  and  handsome  apartment.  The  kitchen,  without  opening 
directly  into  the  dining-room,  is  easy  of  access  and  convenient. 
It  has  liberal  pantries  or  closets  marked  c  c  in  the  plan.  If  re¬ 
quired  for  a  farm-house,  a  lean-to  might  be  cheaply  added  in 
the  rear,  affording  a  dairy-room,  wash-room,  and  other  needed 
accommodations.  The  parlor  might  be  improved,  at  a  moderate 
expense,  by  the  addition  of  a  bay  window. 


Fig.  35. 


On  the  second  floor  we  have  three  bedrooms  with  closets; 
a  bath-room  and  water-closet ;  and  a  small  room  over  the  porch, 
which  would  be  a  very  pleasant  summer  apartment  in  which 
to  work  or  read;  or  it  might  be  used  as  a  bedroom.  The 


TO 


The  House. 


bath-room  and  rear  bedroom  are  entered  from  the  first  land¬ 
ing  of  the  stairs,  this  part  of  the  house  being  two  and  a  half 
feet  lower  than  the  front  part. 

The  style  of  the  elevation  is  that  modification  of  the  Gothic 


Fig.  36. 


which  prevailed  in  England  in  the  reign  of  James  I.  ¥e  are 
not  aware  that  any  examples  of  this  style  have  yet  been  erect 
ed  in  this  country. 


A  Cedar  Closet. — A  closet  or  press  for  linens  or  woolen# 
should,  if  practicable,  be  supplied  with  cedar  shelves. 


A  Sine. — A  sink  on  the  second  floor  for  the  use  of  the 
chamber-maid,  when  it  can  be  economically  planned  and 
rightly  managed,  is  very  convenient. 


Story-and-a-Half  Cottages 


71 


VIII.— A  semi-southern  cottage. 


This  is  a  house  well  adapted  to  the  Middle  and  Southern 
States,  although  for  the  latter  a  veranda  should  be  thrown 
Fig.  37. 


Perspective  View. 


around  the  front  and  sides.  The  design  of  the  elevation  is  a 
Fig.  88.  borrowed  one.  The  annex¬ 

ed  plans  were  designed  in 
adaptation  to  it  by  John 
Orumly,  Architect,  New 
York. 


A — Reception  Room .  9.0x11.6 

B — Conservatory  .  9.0x11.6 

C— Dining  Room . 13.0x25.0 

D — Parlor. . 18.0  x25.0 

E— Hall .  8.6  wide 

F— Pantry .  5.0x  9.0 

G— Kitchen .  . 13.6x18.0 

H — Breakfast  Room . 11.0  xl3.6 

X — Store  Room .  4.6x  9.6 

K— Closets . 4.6  wide 

L— Back  Hall  . 


First  Floor  Plan. 


The  two  small  rooms 
marked  A  and  B,  in  tho 
first-floor  plan,  which  com 


72 


The  House. 


municate  so  conveniently  both  with  the  hall  and  with  the  ad¬ 
joining  rooms,  form  a  peculiar  feature  in  this  plan.  In  a  vil¬ 
lage  or  suburban  dwelling  they  may  be  made  to  minister  to 

use  as  well  as  to  beauty, 
whether  their  office  may. 
be  such  as  we  have  indi- 

A— Dressing  Room .  9.0x11.0 

B— Boudoir .  £.6x  9.0 

C — Dressing  Room .  9.0x11.6 

D— Bed  Room . 11.0x18.0 

E— Hall .  8.6  wide 

F — Bed  Room . 18.0x25.0 

G — Balcony . 

H— Bed  Room . 11.0x18.0 

I — Closets . 

J — Cedar  Closet. . 

K— Bed  Room . 18.6x15.0 

L — Bath . 

M— Bed  Room . 11.6  x  13.6 

N— Back  Hall .  4.6  wide 

O— Lumber  Room - -  4.6x  9.6 

cated  or  not.  The  broad 
and  unobstructed  front 
hall,  running  quite  through 
Second  Floor  Plan.  the  main  building,  is  ex¬ 

pressive  of  breathing  space,  fresh  air,  and  summer  comfort, 
and  forms  a  commodious  ante-chamber  to  the  rooms  on  each 
side.  The  kitchen  (G)  communicates  with  the  dining-room 
(C)  through  the  pantry  (F)  as  well  as  by  way  of  the  back  hall. 
The  room  marked  A  may  be  used  for  a  bedroom,  if  not  re¬ 
quired  for  the  purpose  we  have  indicated. 

On  the  second  floor  we  have  an  admirable  arrangement  of 
sleeping  apartments,  dressing-rooms,  closets,  and  other  accom 
modations. 

These  plans  are  on  the  scale  of  thirty-two  feet  to  the  inch. 


Houses  of  Two  Stories 


73 


V. 

HOUSES  OP  TWO  STORIES. 

Here  the  architect 

Did  not  with  curie  ns  skill  a  pile  erect 
Of  carved  marble,  touch,  or  porphyry, 

But  built  a  house  for  hospitality. — Carew. 

I.— A  GOTHIC  COTTAGE. 

Fig.  40. 


Perspective  View.* 


^HIS  handsome  cottage  very  appropriately  commences  the 
chapter  and  connects  it  with  the  preceding;  the  center  being 
two  stories  in  height,  and  the  wings  only  a  story  and  a  half. 
Its  two  verandas,  its  fine- bay  windows,  its  balcony,  its  hand- 


4 


74 


The  House. 


some  gable,  and  its  grouped  chimney  stacks,  give  to  this  house 
an  expression  of  simple  elegance,  combined  with  all  the  com¬ 
fort  and  convenience  that  a  cottage  residence  can  well  afford  ; 
and  we  are  much  deceived  if  this  design  do  not  prove  a  favor¬ 
ite  among  the  patrons  of  our  little  manual. 


Fig.  41. 


The  arrangement  of  the  rooms  on  the  first  floor  is  compact 
and  convenient.  The  parlor,  although  not  large,  is  a  very 
handsome  apartment,  and  is  conveniently  connected  with  the 
sitting-room,  so  that  the  two  can  be  used  en  suite  if  necessary. 
A  door  opening  from  the  sitting-room  into  the  porch  may  easily 
be  had  if  desired,  but  would  render  the  room  somewhat  colder  in 
winter.  The  large  room  in  the  rear  will  serve  as  a  wash-room, 
as  well  as  a  place  for  fuel.  If  the  house  should  be  built  on  a 


Houses  of  Two  Stories.  75 

farm,  the  milk  room  would  occupy  a  part  of  the  room  just 
mentioned,  the  wood-shed  being  extended  beyond. 

On  the  second  floor  we  have  four  fine  sleeping-rooms  and  a 
bath-room,  each  with  its  separate  entrance  from  a  hall  or  pas¬ 
sage.  The  front  bedroom,  with  its  fire-place  and  its  balcony, 


Fig.  42. 


is  a  particularly  fine  apartment.  If  it  be  desired  to  preserve 
the  chimney  projection,  closets  may  be  obtained  by  recessing 
the  window,  as  in  the  case  of  the  room  at  the  left. 

A  cellar  under  the  library  and  hall  would  be  sufficient,  unless 
it  be  built  as  a  farm-house. 

II.— A  COUNTRY  PARSONAGE. 

This  design,  with  a  few  trifling  alterations,  has  been  executed 
for  the  use  of  a  country  clergyman,  in  which  case  the  front 
room  on  the  right  hand  was  set  apart  for  the  study.  It  is 
equally  adapted  to  the  use  of  a  layman. 

Two-story  frame  houses,  with  accommodations  such  as  this 
affords,  and  with  handsome  and  substantial  finish  both  out- 


76 


The  House. 


side  and  inside,  can  not  generally  be  built  for  less  than  $3,000; 
but  in  this  ca-«e  the  building  committee  applied  to  the  architect 


Side  Eluvatiojj. 


Houses  of  Two  Stories.  77 

for  plans  and  specifications  for  a  house  containing  a  parlor,  a 
dining-room,  a  study  or  sitting-room,  and  liberal  halls,  stairs, 
and  closets  on  the  first  floor:  five  rooms  on  the  second  floor, 
and  a  handsome  outside  appearance,  the  whole  to  cost  not 
over  $2,200.  Here  was  a  somewhat  difficult  problem.  The 
accompanying  plans  and  elevations  show  how  successfully  Hr. 


Fig.  45. 


Graef  has  solved  it,  the  actual  cost  being  but  $50  over  the 
sum  named  by  the  committee. 

There  is  a  large  cellar  under  the  house,  with  convenient  ac¬ 
cess,  both  from  the  inside  and  the  outside.  Besides  the  rooms 
shown  in  the  plans,  two  bedrooms  might  be  had  at  a  small 
expense  in  the  well-lighted  open  garret. 


78 


The  House. 


All  the  materials  used  in  the  construction  of  this  house  are 
of  approved  quality.  The  frame  is  of  strong  pine  and  hemlock 
timber;  the  outside  is  inclosed  with  clear,  narrow  clap-boards; 
the  roof  is  covered  with  cedar  shingles,  and  painted  ;  the  floors 
are  of  1£  inch  mill-worked  pine  plank  ;  the  door.s  are  It  inch 
thick,  paneled,  and  furnished  with  mortice  locks;  all  casings, 


Fig.  46. 


inside  and  outside,  are  handsome,  bold,  and  executed  after 
working  drawings ;  the  windows  are  glazed  with  single,  thick 
French  glass ;  the  parlor,  dining-room,  study,  and  front  hall 
are  hard  finished  and  have  molded  cornices,  and  the  other 
rooms,  landings,  etc.,  with  the  best  brown  wall.  All  outside 
studdings  are  back-plastered ;  the  whole  of  the  wood-work 


H  OUSE8  OF  Two  StOKIES 


79 


ordinarily  painted  is  covered  with  two  coats  of  zinc  paint;  the 
usual  gas-pipes  are  put  in ;  and  the  kitchen  sink  is  supplied 
with  water  from  the  street. 

We  have  been  thus  particular  in  reference  to  the  materials 
and  construction  of  this  house,  because,  having  been  built,  its 
actual  cost  is  known,  and  will  serve  as  a  basis  on  which  to  cal¬ 
culate  approximately  the  cost  of  other  similar  houses. 

III.— “  FKUITLAND”  COTTAGE. 

The  accompanying  design  represents  a  house  erected  at 
“  Fruitland,”  near  Augusta,  Georgia.  It  is  a  concrete  or 


Fig.  47. 


gravel-wall  building,  and  the  mode  of  its  construction  may  be 
found  detailed  in  the  Appendix. 

“The  most  obvious  requirements  of  a  Southern  country 
house  are — ample  space,  shade,  and  ventilation.  Where  land  is 


80 


The  House. 


abundant  and  cheap,  the  ground  plan  should  be  so  extended  aa 
to  get  all  the  room  needed  as  near  the  ground  as  possible,  aud 
avoid  the  fatiguing  ascent  of  high  flights  of  stairs.  On  any 


H.,  hall,  53x10  feet;  D.  K.,  dining-room,  21x18:  P.,  pantry.;.?  12,  adjoin¬ 
ing  the  dining-room;  S.  E.,  store-room,  18x18,  next  to  pantrr  office  ;  B., 
bath-room;  D.,  dairy,  18x9;  F.  E.,  fruit-room,* 

proper  location,  where  the  land  is  high,  dry,  and  airy,  a  base¬ 
ment  entirely  above  the  surface ,  with  one  story  above  that,  for 
parlor,  sleeping-rooms,  etc.,  will  be  found  well  adapted  to  the 
wants  of  a  modern  family.  Externally,  the  house  should 
present  a  reasonable  degree  of  architectural  style,  correspond¬ 
ing  with  the  interior,  and  in  harmony  with  the  surrounding 
scenery.  Thus,  while  a  Swiss  or  Gothic  cottage  would  be  out 
of  place  in  a  low,  level,  and  warm  country — a  flat-roofed  Tus- 


*  For  the  ripening  of  pears,  keeping  of  winter  fruits,  etc.  When  not  nsed 
for  the  intended  purpose,  the  latter  room  may  serve  as  a  general  lu  nbcr-rooro. 
or  a  servant’s  bedroom. 


H  otjses  of  Two  Stories. 


81 


can  or  Italian  villa  would  be  equally  inappropriate  amid  the 
heavy  snow-storms  and  wild  tempests  of  the  Alps.  This  sense 
of  fitness  should  naturally  lead  us,  in  the  erection  of  a  country 
house  for  the  South,  to  study  carefully  the  peculiarities  of  our 
climate  and  surroundings,  in  addition  to  our  own  individual 
wants,  and  to  modify  existing  modes  into  what  some  one  has 
called  the  ‘  comfortable  and  convenient,’  as  distinguished  from 
the  merely  ‘ornamental’  styles  of  architecture. 

“  The  site  of  the  house  represented  on  page  79  is  upon  a  pio- 


Fig.  49. 


H.,  hall,  53x10  feet;  L.,  library,  21x18;  B.  R.,  B.  R.,  B.  R..  three  bedrooms, 
respectively  18x15,  18x14,  and  18x11;  P.,  parlor,  21x18;  P.  B.  R.,  parlor  bed. 
room,  18  x  15 ;  o ,  c.,  c.,  closets. 

turesque  elevation  in  the  orchard  at  ‘  Fruitland.’  It  is  on  the 
dividing  ridge  between  Rae’s  Creek  and  the  Savannah  River, 
and  from  the  peculiar  formation  of  the  locality  commands  a 

4* 


82 


The  House. 


very  beautiful  prospect  of  the  city  of  Augusta,  the  opposite 
hills  of  South  Carolina,  and  the  surrounding  country. 

“  By  reference  to  the  elevation  and  accompanying  plans,  it 
will  be  seen  that  the  house  is  a  nearly  square  structure  of  two 
stories,  fifty  by  fifty-five  feet,  entirely  surrounded  and  shielded 
from  sun  and  storm  by  an  ample  veranda,  ten  feet  wide.  This 
veranda  is  supported  by  twenty  columns  of  solid  pine,  one  foot 
in  diameter,  turned  tapering,  and  bored  entirely  through  length¬ 
wise,  to  prevent  outside  shrinkage.  These  columns  rest  on 
square  brick  pillars,  built  up  on  concrete  foundations.  The 
lower  story,  or  basement,  contains  the  dining-room,  pantry, 
store-room,  office,  bathing-room,  fruit-room,  and  ice-house — in 
short,  all  the  working  rooms ,  or  apartments  for  every-day  prac¬ 
tical  use ;  while  the  second  story  contains  the  library,  parlor, 
bedrooms,  closets,  etc.  Two  large  halls,  fifty-three  by  ten 
feet,  run  directly  through  the  building,  securing  perfect  venti¬ 
lation.  The  second  story  has  transorn-lights  over  each  door 
and  opposite  the  outer  windows,  to  admit  the  freest  possible 
circulation  of  pure  air.  The  basemeut  floor  is  raised  several 
inches  above  the  surface ,  filled  in  with  pounded  rock  and  gravel, 
and  laid  in  cement,  which  adheres  firmly  to  the  walls,  thus  af¬ 
fording  perfect  security  against  fire,  dampness,  and  the  depre¬ 
dations  of  rats  and  other  vermin.  The  stairs  leading  from  the 
basement  to  the  second  floor,  and  thence  to  the  observatory  or 
cupola,  are  removed  to  one  side  of  their  usual  position  in  the 
halls,  leaving  the  latter  entirely  free  and  unobstructed.  The 
lower  division  walls,  separating  the  hall  from  the  dining-room, 
office,  etc.,  are  built  of  concrete,  one  foot  thick,  but  all  the 
partitions,  above  and  below,  are  lathed  and  plastered.  Two 
chimneys  afford  six  fire-places,  with  flues  for  stove-pipes,  etc. 
The  windows  are  large,  and  so  hung  on  springs  that  the  upper 
sash  can  be  let  down  and  kept  in  a  fixed  position,  for  ventila¬ 
ting  purposes.  The  roof  is  ‘  hipped,’  or  four-sided,  and  covered 
with  the  best  cypress  shingles.” 


Houses  of  Two  Stories. 


83 


1V.-S.  H.  MANN’S  OCTAGON  PLAN. 

This  plan  was  designed  by  Mr.  S.  H.  Mann,  of  Beloit,  Wis., 
and  first  appeared  in  the  Country  Gentleman ,  together  with 
basement  and  chamber  plans.  We  give  this  alone,  as  furnisb- 
Fig.  50. 


log  hints,  at  least,  toward  the  best  possible  arrangement  of 
rooms  within  octagon  walls,  and  giving  the  reader  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  compare  this  form  with  the  rectangular.  Our  indi- 
v fdual  opinion  on  the  subject  has  already  been  expressed. 

V.-A  SOUTHERN  HOUSE. 

This  design  was  made  to  meet  the  wants  and  tastes  of  a 
particular  family,  but  will,  we  trust,  be  found,  in  its  main 
features,  to  be  equally  well  adapted  to  the  use  of  many  others. 
It  is  planned  on  a  liberal  and  at  the  same  time  an  economical 
scale,  the  halls,  stairs,  veranda,  arcade,  balcony,  etc.,  being 


fig.  61. 


{Southern  Hou6e— Perspective  View 


85 


H  OUSES  OF  Two  STOKIE8. 

Fig.  62. 


spacious,  to  meet  the  requirements  of  a  warm  climate,  while 
the  rooms  are  of  a  moderate  but  comfortable  size,  and  no 
waste  of  space  is  allowed.  The  plan  may  be  easily  modified 

Fig.  5-3. 


Skconp  Floor  Ptak, 


86 


'I he  House 


by  omitting  the  wing,  carrying  the  veranda  to  the  rear,  and 
inclosing,  if  desired,  the  space  now  occupied  by  the  arcade. 
I  lie  disposition  ot  tlie  various  apartments  on  both  floors  was 
made  with  strict  reference  to  comfort  and  convenience,  and 
shows  for  itself  in  the  plans. 

The  elevation  is  in  the  Italian  style,  with  only  such  modi¬ 
fications  as  the  necessities  of  climate  and  materials  seem  to 
render  necessary,  and  presents  a  handsome  and  characteristic 
appearance. 


VI.— A  SQUARE  COTTAGE. 

The  accompanying  plans  and  elevation  represent  a  medium¬ 
sized  two-story  house,  so  divided  as  to  combine  convenience 

Fig.  54, 


Perspective  View. 


with  economy  of  space.  The  main  part  of  the  house  is  exactly 
square,  giving  more  inclosed  space  for  the  amount  of  wall  than 
any  other  rectangular  form.  A  hall  extends  through  the  house, 


Houses  of  Two  Stories. 


87 


from  which  doors  open  from  each  room,  thus  securing  a  free 
circulation  of  air.  The  bow  windows  in  the  parlor  and  dining¬ 
room,  as  well  as  the  verandas  in  front  and  rear,  although  very 
desirable,  may  be  dispensed  with  if  it  be  required  to  build  for 
the  smallest  possible  sum. 


Fig.  55. 


On  the  first  floor  we  have  a  parlor  (12X17),  a  living-room 
(12X14),  library  (12X11),  a  dining-room  (12X16),  and,  in  the 
wing,  a  kitchen  (12X14).  If  wanted  for  a  farm-house,  a  dairy- 
room  can  be  added  to  the  kitchen. 


88 


The  House. 


On  the  second  floor  we  have  four  large  bedrooms,  a  large 
hall-closet,  a  bath-room,  and  a  dressing-room.  We  have  made 
the  bedroom  over  the  parlor  a  little  irregular  in  shape,  which 
allows  two  good  closets  to  each  room.  If  this  irregularity  be 


Fig.  56. 


objected  to,  a  closet  for  each  room  may  be  obtained  in  the 
way  shown  for  the  rooms  on  the  other  side  of  the  hall.  Next 
to  the  bath-room  are  stairs  leading  to  the  attic  or  roof. 

First  story  is  to  be  11  feet  high ;  second  story  10  feet  high, 
clear.  There  is  a  cellar  6J  feet  high  under  part  of  the  house, 
with  entrance  to  it  under  main  stairs  and  outside  entrance. 
Cellar  walls  and  foundation  are  12  inch  brick  walls,  or  20  inch 
stone  walls.  It  is  inclosed  with  narrow,  clear  clap-boards. 
Cornices,  caps,  etc.,  to  have  a  bold  projection.  Main  roof  to 
be  covered  with  tin  ;  kitchen  roof  to  be  covered  with  shingles. 
All  rooms,  landings,  and  closets  are  to  be  hard  finished.  Floors 
to  be  of  mill-worked  pine  plank.  All  outside  w’alls  and  second- 
story  ceilings  to  be  back-plastered.  Room  doors  are  1$  inch 
thick  ;  closet  doors,  1  j  inch — all  paneled.  Inside  casings  to 
have  back-bands  and  back-moldings,  except  to  closets. 


Houses  of  Two  Stories. 


89 


The  estimated  cost,  including  marble  mantles  to  all  fire¬ 
places,  but  exclusive  of  plumbing  work  and  gas-pipes,  will  not 
exceed  $2,800.  It  may  be  built,  however,  with  lower  ceilings 
and  plainer  in  and  outside  finish,  without  destroying  in  the 
least  the  general  appearance,  for  $2,300. 

VII.— A  STONE  COUNTRY  HOUSE. 

This  design  shows  a  house  of  rather  more  pretension  than 
the  last.  The  size  and  location  of  the  rooms  can  be  seen  at  a 
glance.  The  halls  give  access  to  every  room  without  passing 


Fift.  57. 


through  another.  They  are  lighted  by  a  window  over  th 
front  door  and  by  having  the  bedroom  door  half  sash. 

The  second  story  has  the  same  general  plan  as  the  first, 
giving  five  large  bedrooms,  a  bath-room,  and  a  fine  small  room 
in  front  hall.  The  stairs  to  the  attic  adjoin  the  back  passage. 


90 


The  House. 


As  persons  may  be  differently  situated,  so  they  might  desira 
some  changes  in  the  general  plan,  which  can  be  easily  made 
without  interfering  with  the  rest.  A  wing,  projecting  either 


Fig.  5S. 


£0  the  rear  or  the  side  of  the  kitchen,  for  pantry,  wash-room, 
dairy,  or  whatever  may  be  needed,  can  be  readily  added. 
Some  would  prefer-to  make  the  library  in  an  oval  or  octagonal 
style,  as  indicated  by  the  dotted  lines,  with  closets  in  the  cor¬ 
ner,  dispensing  with  those  in  the  hall. 

Fig.  59  shows  the  perspective  view. 

This  house  is  designed  to  be  built  of  roughstone  walls,  neatly 
pointed,  and  have  dressed  blue  or  brown  stone  corners  and 
dressings.  The  roof  is  covered  with  slates. 


Fig.  59.— A  Stone  Country  House — Perspective  View. — By  F.  E.  Gbaef. 


92 


The  House 


VIII.— A  CIRCULAR  HOUSE. 

There  are  queer  people  in  the  world — a  great  many  of  them 
—and  it  is  not  strange  that  there  are  also  queer  houses.  Now, 
as  our  little  book  is  made  for  everybody,  it  is  but  just  that 
queer  people  and  their  houses  should  be  represented  in  it. 


Fig.  co. 


Pet:  SPECTIVT5  VlTTW. 


Very  few  persons,  we  presume,  will  desire  to  build  a  circu¬ 
lar  house,  although  it  is  the  form,  as  geometry  demonstrates, 
in  which  the  greatest  possible  space  may  be  inclosed  by  a  given 
amount  of  wall ;  but  for  the  oddity  of  the  thing,  or  because 
economy  of  space  may  be  secured,  somebody  may  wish  to  do 
it,  and  look  for  a  design  to  adopt  or  imitate.  Here  it  is  ! 

This  circular;  house,  in  many  respects  quite  original  in  its 
plan,  was  erected  by  Enoch  Robinson,  Esq.,  at  Spring  Ilill, 
Somerville,  Massachusetts.  No  timber  was  used  in  its  con 


Rouses  of  Two  Stories. 


93 


fitruction.  The  walls  are  made  of  plank  sawed  on  a  circle  of  40 
feet  (the  diameter  of  the  house)-,  nailed  together,  one  above  the 
other,  in  regular  courses.  The  windows  are  made  of  four  large 
panes  of  glass,  in  a  single  sash,  which  slides  up  into  the  wall, 
entirely  out  of  the  way.  The  inside  blinds  are  arranged  in  the 
same  manner. 

The  oval  parlor  is  24  feet  long  by  15  feet  wide.  The  cir¬ 
cular  library,  opposite,  is  13  feet  in  diameter,  leaving  a  fine 
front  entry  between  these  two  curves.  The  kitchen,  next  the 
circular  library,  has  a  slate  floor  and  walls  of  varnished  white- 
wood.  Between  the  kitchen  and  the  large  dining-room  is  the 


Fig.  61. 


Fibst  F look  Plan. 


chimney  and  the  kitchen  and  dining-room  closets,  so  arranged 
as  to  occupy  very  little  room. 

On  the  second  floor  are  seven  chambers,  two  of  them  quite 
large,  all  opening  into  a  pleasant  rotunda,  13  feet  in  diameter, 
beneath  the  central  skylight. 


94 


The  House. 


The  accompanying  sketch  and  plans  will  give  a  good  idea  of 
the  general  appearance  and  arrangement  of  this  truly  original 
and  unique  edifice. 

Though  made  of  the  best  materials,  and  of  superior  work- 


Fig.  62. 


manship,  this  building  was  erected  at  an  expense  much  less 
than  that  of  a  square  house  erected  in  the  ordinary  way. 

Ornamenting  the  Roof.— A  good  effect  is  produced  on  the 
steep  roofs  of  Gothic  houses  by  cutting  the  shingles  in  certain 
patterns  before  laying  them.  One  of  the  simplest  forms  is 
made  by  cutting  the  end  of  each  shingle  to  a  point,  so  as  to 
form  a  diamond  pattern  when  laid.  The  shingles  must  be  of 
good  quality  and  uniform  width  and  thickness.  These  orna¬ 
mental  shingles  may  also  be  used  with  good  effect  instead  of 
boards,  for  the  outside  covering  of  wooden  cottages,  forming  a 
warm  and  durable  wall. 


Houses  of  Two  Stobies. 


95 


IX.— A  SWISS  COTTAGE. 

This  design,  like  most  others  representing  cottages  and 
houses  in  the  Swiss  style,  and  intended  for  execution  in  this 
country  lacks  some  of  the  peculiarities  of  the  genuine  Swiss 
cottage,  as  it  is  seen  in  Switzerland.  Both  the  external  finish 
and  the  internal  arrangements  are  necessarily  modified,  to 
adapt  them  to  our  climate  and  habits.  The  architect  has, 
therefore,  aimed  to  retain  the  general  character  of  the  style 


Fig.  68. 


Ferspzctiv*  Taw 


merely,  and  to  produce  an  effect  as  little  removed  from  that  of 
the  original  chalit  as  the  circumstances  permit. 

The  plans  require  little  explanation.  A  cottage  of  the  di¬ 
mensions  of  this  ought  to  have  both  front  and  back  stairs,  but 
to  save  expense  we  have  made  one  flight  serve  in  this  case. 
The  front  entrance  is  into  a  lobby,  from  which  both  the  par¬ 
lor  and  the  dining-room  are  entered.  These  rooms  also  open 
into  the  stair  hall,  which  is  conveniently  placed  for  daily  use, 
and  from  which  the  kitchen  is  entered.  The  latter  has  also  a 
separate  entrance,  from  the  outside,  through  the  sink-room.  A. 
cellar  under  a  part  of  the  house  would  be  sufficient. 


96 


The  House. 


This  design,  executed  iu  wood,  will  cost,  according  to  the 
architect’s  estimate,  $2,300.  Foundation  or  cellar  walls  to  he 
either  stone  sixteen  inches  thick,  or  of  brick  eight  inches  thick; 

Fig.  64.  Fig.  65. 


first-story  rooms  and  landings  to  be  hard  finished  ;  second-floor 
rooms  and  landing;  to  be  brown  wall  for  papering;  inclosing 
to  be  done  with  clap-boards  ;  roof  to  be  tinned.  The  ground 
plans  must  be  reversed,  to  agree  with  the  perspective  view. 


Servants’  Bedrooms. — These  are  generally,  and  for  obvious 
reasons,  placed  in  the  attic  (where  there  is  one) ;  but,  where 
it  can  be  so  arranged,  it  is  well  to  have  a  bedroom  opening  out 
of  the  kitchen,  or  of  easy  access  from  it,  for  the  person  whose 
duty  it  is  to  be  last  in  that  apartment  at  night  and  first  in  the 
morning.  It  saves  many  steps. 

Importance  of  Arrangement. — A  great  deal  of  labor,  espe¬ 
cially  of  women,  is  saved  by  an  economical  arrangement  of  the 
more  common  rooms ;  and  hundreds  of  miles  in  walking,  in 
the  aggregate,  avoided  annually  by  a  few  feet  of  lessened  dis¬ 
tance  between  the  principal  poiids  — T  J,  Thoma*. 


H  ouses  of  Two  Stories.  97 

X.-A  DOUBLE  COTTAGE. 

On  account  of  the  economy  thus  secured,  it  is  sometimes 
desirable  to  build  two  distinct  dwellings  under  one  roof.  This 
arrangement  saves  not  only  part  of  the  material*  but  all  the 
exterior  covering  and  finish  of  two  walls ;  and  as  three  sides 
are  still  open  to  the  light  and  air,  no  serious  disadvantage  need 
arise  from  their  exclusion  on  the  other  side.  Such  houses, 
however,  must  be  skillfully  planned  in  order  to  avoid  dark  and 


Fig.  66. 


Dadly  ventilated  rooms.  The  accompanying  design,  we  think, 
meets  the  requirements  of  such  a  house  in  a  very  satisfactory 
manner,  and  is  offered  with  confidence  to  persons  desiring  to 
build  two  dwellings  in  one. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  two  houses,  although  similar  in  their 
general  features,  are  considerably  varied  in  their  details.  We 


5 


98 


The  House. 


find  the  same  rooms  in  each,  but  their  sizes,  forms,  and  relations 
to  each  other  are  different.  For  instance,  on  one  side  we  have 
the  parlor  and  breakfast-room  arranged  en  suite,  with  sliding 
doors  between  them,  while  on  the  other  they  merely  commu¬ 
nicate  by  means  of  common  doors.  The  sitting-rooms  also 
differ  in  form  and  size,  and  so  on.  This  gives  persons  purpos¬ 
ing  to  adopt  such  a  design  a  choice  of  plans,  as  both  houses 


Pig.  CT. 


may  be  built  like  the  right-hand  plan,  both  like  the  left-hand 
plan,  or  each  differing  from  the  other,  as  shown.  The  two 
houses  afford  a  line  front,  and  may  have  a  handsome  elevation 
in  such  a  style  as  may  be  preferred. 

As  a  general  thing,  however,  we  think  double  houses  not 
desirable,  and  that  all  that  is  saved  in  the  expense  of  erection 
is  more  than  paid  for  by  the  inconvenience  of  having  neighbors 
so  near.  Nearly  all  houses  in  cities,  it  is  true,  are  built  so  close 
as  a  double  house ;  but  in  cities  there  are  no  such  things  as 
neighbors,  and  families  live  in  adjoining  houses  for  years  with¬ 
out  any  acquaintance. 


Fabm-Houses. 


99 


VI. 

FARM-HOUSES. 


Between  broad  fields  of  wheat  and  corn, 

Is  the  lowly  home  where  I  was  born  ; 

The  peach-tree  leans  against  the  wall, 

And  the  woodbine  wanders  over  all. — T.  B.  Read. 

L— PRELIMINARY  REMARK8. 


ON’YENIEN’CE  and  comfort  are  the  first  re¬ 
quirements  of  a  farm-house;  but  there  is  no 
reason  here,  more  than  in  any  other  sort  of 
residence,  why  regard  should  not  be  had  to  beauty  of  ex¬ 
ternal  features.  The  farmer  may  properly  have  as  hand¬ 
some  a  house  as  the  village  lawyer  or  doctor,  and  in  its 
general  features  it  need  not  differ  widely  from  that  of  either. 
It  is  mainly  its  adjuncts — its  barns,  stables,  piggery,  poultry- 
house,  and  other  out-buildings — that  give  the  residence  of  the 
agriculturist  its  peculiar  appearance.  Almost  any  of  our  de¬ 
signs,  with  slight  modifications — mainly  the  enlargement  of 
the  kitchen  and  its  offices,  the  addition  of  a  milk-room,  etc. — ■ 
may  be  adapted  to  the  uses  of  a  farm-house.  For  this  reason 
we  content  ourselves  with  giving  two  or  three  houses  planned 
with  special  reference  to  the  farm. 

Permanency  should  characterize  the  farm-house,  therefore 
we  should  be  glad  to  see  brick  and  stone  brought  into  more 
general  use  in  the  construction  of  such  building  ■.  Rough  stone 


100 


The  H  OUSE. 


is  an  admirable  material  for  a  farm-house  and  may  often  be 
advantageously  used.  Concrete,  too,  in  favorable  situations, 
and  with  due  regard  to  the  essential  conditions  already  men¬ 
tioned  (in  Chapter  II.),  may  be  adopted  with  profit,  instead  of 
wood.  But  whatever  the  material  may  be,  let  the  construction 
be  substantial  and  enduring. 

“The  kitchen,”  some  one  has  said,  “is  the  heart  of  the 
farm-house.”  Let  it  receive  a  large  share  of  attention  in  your 
plan.  See  that  it  is  large ;  well  lighted  ;  well-ventilated;  pro¬ 
vided  with  a  large  pantry,  a  sink,  etc.,  and  convenient  of  access. 
Domestic  help  is  not  generally  abundant  in  the  farmer’s  family. 
Too  much  labor,  at  best,  devolves  upon  the  mistress.  We 
should  have  reference  to  labor-saving,  then,  in  every  arrange¬ 
ment.  To  these  ends  we  hope  our  plan  will  furnish  useful  hints. 

II.— A  MODEL  FARM-HOUSE. 

This  design  is  presented  by  the  architect  as  a  model  farm¬ 
house,  suitable  for  a  farmer  in  easy  circumstances  and  with 
the  taste  and  culture  which  should  accompany  such  a  con- 


Fig.  68. 


Front  Elevation. 


dition  in  life.  For  less  expensive  farm-houses,  almost  any  of 
our  cottage  designs,  with  slight  alterations,  will  serve. 


Fakm-Ho  uses  . 


101 


The  prominent  feature?  of  this  design  are  its  great  extent  on 
the  ground,  compared  v  ith  that  of  the  second  story ;  com¬ 
pactness  in  the  arrangement  of  the  rooms ;  and  the  compara- 


Fig.  69. 


Fig.  TO. 


tive  prominence  given  to  the  kitchen  and  its  offices ;  all  of 
whiffi  promote  the  saving  of  labor  and  indicate  adaptation  to 
the  uses  of  a  farm-house. 

The  front  hall  and  back  hall,  with  their  respective  entrances, 
are  separated,  so  that  the  front  hall,  parlor,  family  bedroom, 
or  sitting  room  (according 
to  the  use  which  may  be 
made  of  it)  may  always 
be  kept  clean  and  free 
from  unnecessary  contact 
with  the  every-day  work 
of  the  house ;  while  the 
back  hall  serves  for  all  the 
common  uses  of  the  house¬ 
hold.  At  the  same  time 
the  ventilation  and  cool¬ 
ness  of  the  whole  in  sum¬ 
mer  is  secured  by  opening 
the  door  by  which  the  balls  communicate.  The  kitchen,  dairy 
and  other  domestic  offices,  it  will  be  seen,  are  admirably  situ- 


First  Floor  Plan. 


102 


The  House. 


ated  in  reference  to  the  back  hall  and  entrance.  The  second 
or  attic  floor  affords  four  bedrooms,  all  of  which  are  provided 
Fig.  71.  with  large  closets,  and 

may  be  warmed. 

The  exterior  presents 
a  decidedly  rural  appear¬ 
ance,  and  indicates  the 
character  of  the  house 
at  a  glance.  Its  veranda, 
porch,  bay  window,  and 
curved  roof  with  dormer 
windows,  give  it  an  ex¬ 
pression-  by  no  means 
commonplace,  but  quite 
picturesque. 

Executed  in  wood, 
and  finished  throughout  in  a  substantial  and  liberal  style,  and 
with  a  cellar  under  the  whole,  this  house  will  cost  $2,250.  It 
is  also  very  suitable  for  execution  in  stone  or  brick. 


Second  Floor  Plan. 


III.— A  FAKM-HOUSE  PLAN. 

This  plan,  in  its  general  features,  is  borrowed  from  Lewis 
F.  Allen’s  excellent  work,  on  “  Farm  Houses,  Cottages,  etc.,” 
but  is  so  modified  in  most  of  its  details  that  it  would  not  be 
just  to  hold  Mr.  Allen  responsible  for  any  fault  it  may  contain. 

In  this  plan,  as  in  the  previous  one,  the  front  hall  is  sepa¬ 
rated  from  the  back  hall  by  a  door,  to  shut  out,  when  occasion 
requires,  all  the  sights  and  sounds  of  the  kitchen  from  the 
parlor  and  living-room.  The  living  or  family-room  is  a  large 
apartment,  and  will  serve  as  a  dining-room  when  the  kitchen, 
which  in  farm-houses  is  generally  used  for  this  purpose,  may 
prove  too  small,  or  be  otherwise  occupied.  These  two  rooms 
may  be  made  to  communicate  by  means  of  a  door  where  the 
closet  is  represented  in  the  design.  We  have  dispensed  with 
the  back  stairs,  which  are,  however,  very  desirable,  and  may  be 
had  in  the  back  hall  by  making  it  a  little  wider  at  the  expense 


Farm-Hotjses. 


103 


of  the  bedroom,  or  by  omitting  the  store-room.  Connected 
•with  the  kitchen  fire-place  is  an  oven,  which,  in  our  hum¬ 
ble  opinion,  no  cooking 


stove  or  range  yet  in¬ 
vented  renders  useless. 
In  the  wing,  the  pantry, 
milk-room,  wash-room, 
bath-room,  and  privy 
are  conveniently  arrang¬ 
ed.  Beyond  these,  and 
separated  from  them  by 
the  wood-shed,  are  the 
piggery,  work-shop,  sta¬ 
ble,  etc. 

The  main  building 
should  be  two  stories  in 
height,  and  the  wing  a 
story  and  a  half.  We 
omit  a  second  floor 
plan,  which  may  easily 
be  arranged  from  this, 
which  we  give  rather 
as  a  hint  or  suggestion 
than  as  a  finished  de¬ 
sign. 


Fig.  72. 


Old  Roofs. — When¬ 
ever  a  roof  begins  to 
leak,  and  you  wish  to  Fikst  Flooe  Plan. 

re-shingle  it,  do  not  take  off  the  old  shingles — put  the  new 
shingles  on  top  of  the  old  ones — but  make  use  of  six-penny 
nails  in  place  of  four-penny  or  shingle  nails.  The  advantage 
of  this  method  will  consist  in  the  following  particulars  : 

1.  Will  save  the  expense  of  removing  the  shingles. 

2.  The  building  will  not  be  exposed  to  wet  in  case  of  rain 
before  it  is  finished. 


104 


The  House. 


3.  The  roof  will  be  much  warmer  and  tighter. 

4.  Neither  snow  nor  rain  can  beat  under  the  butts  of  the 
shingles  by  heavy  winds. 

5.  The  roof  will  last  full  one  third  longer. 

I  have  tried  this  plan,  and  find  that  it  has  these  advantages : 
It  takes  no  more  shingles,  no  more  nails  in  number — only  a 
little  longer — and  no  more  time  to  put  them  on,  and  if  done  in 
a  workmanlike  manner,  it  will  look  as  well  as  if  single.  But 
it  should  be  done  before  the  old  shingles  are  too  much  decayed. 

All  the  moss — if  any — should  be  removed  or  swept  off  with 
a  stiff  broom  before  putting  on  the  new  shingles. — National 
Era. 


Y  ILL  AS. 


105 


VII. 

VILLAS. 


Here  no  state  chambers  in  long  line  unfold, 

Bright  with  broad  mirrors,  rough  with  fretted  gold, 
Yet  modest  ornament  with  use  combined 
Attracts  the  eye  to  exercise  the  mind. 

I.— WHAT  IS  A  VILLA? 


ISTORICALLY,  .the  question  is  readily  an¬ 
swered.  It  was  originally  a  summer  residence 
in  the  vicinity  of  an  Italian  city,  erected  for 
;•  -  occupation  merely  during  the  warm  season.  The  word 

»,  is  now  used  with  a  wider  signification. 

Jy*  According  to  Downing,  “  what  we  mean  by  a  villa  in 
the  United  States,  is  the  country  house  of  a  person  of 
competence  or  wealth  sufficient  to  build  and  maintain  it  with 
some  taste  and  elegance — the  most  refined  home  of  America — 
the  home  of  its  most  leisurely  and  educated  class  of  citizens.” 

“  What,  then,”  continues  Mr.  Downing,  “  should  the  villa  be 

architecturally? . It  should  be,  firstly,  the  most 

convenient — secondly,  the  most  truthful  or  significant — and 
thirdly,  the  most  beautiful,  of  dwellings. 

“The  villa  should  indeed  be  a  private  house  where  beauty, 
taste,  and  moral  culture  are  at  home.  In  the  fine  outlines  of 
the  whole  edifice,  either  dignified,  graceful,  or  picturesque ;  in 
the  spacious  or  varied  verandas,  arcades,  and  windows;  in  the 
select  forms  of  windows,  chimney-tops,  cornices,  the  artistio 

5* 


106 


The  House. 


feeling  has  full  play :  while  in  the  arrangement  of  spacious  apart 
ments,  especially  the  devotion  of  a  part  to  a  library  or  cabinet, 
sacred  to  books,  and  in  that  elevated  order  and  system  of  the 
whole  plan,  indicative  of  the  inner  domestic  life,  we  find  the 
development,  of  the  intellectual  and  moral  nature,  which  char¬ 
acterizes  the  most  cultivated  families  in  their  country  houses.” 

II.— A  SMALL  VILLA  IN  THE  ITALIAN  STYLE. 

This,  although  not  a  large  house,  is  planned  on  a  more  lib¬ 
eral  scale,  and  betokens  more  expensive  tastes,  than  any  of 

Fig.  78. 


Front  Elevation. 

the  designs  hitherto  given.  The  convenient  access  to  all  the 
rcoms ;  their  arrangement  in  connection  with  each  other  and 

Fig.  74. 


Side  Elevation. 


Villas. 


107 


Fig.  75.  Fig.  76. 


with  the  halls;  and  especially  the  location  of  the  kitchen  in 
reference  to  the  dining-room,  butler’s  pantry,  laundry,  back 
hall,  etc.,  show  a  nice  appreciation  of  the  wants  of  a  family  of 


some  wealth  and  cultivation  as  well  as  of  the 
principles  of  economy  in  household  labor. 
The  spacious  front  hall,  and  the  back  hall 
with  the  separate  stairs  for  the  domestics, 
add  to  the  characteristic  features  of  the  in¬ 
terior. 

The  second  and  attic  floors  furnish  ample 
bedroom  accommodations,  etc.,  for  a  large 
family.  They  require  no  explanation. 

In  its  external  form  the  house  is  well  pro¬ 
portioned,  and  presents  a  pleasing  appear¬ 
ance,  its  most  striking  feature  being  its  fine 
veranda. 

A  design  similar  to  this  has  been  executed 
at  Elizabeth,  New  Jersey,  at  a  cost  of  about 


Fig.  77. 


Attic  Pl*.n. 


108 


The  House. 


$3,450,  the  whole  being  finished  in  first-class  style.  It  may  be 
built  in  a  plainer  way  for  from  $400  to  $500  less. 

The  scale  in  this  design  is  reduced  to  thirty-two  feet  to  the 
inch. 

III.— A  BEICK  VILLA. 

This  may  safely  be  pronounced  a  model  design.  Its  great 
merits  will  be  conceded  by  every  one  who  will  take  the  pains 
to  examine  it  closely. 


Fig.  TS. 


On  the  first  floor  two  opposite  main  entrances,  with  lobbies, 
give  access  to  a  fine  vestibule  in  connection  with  the  main 
stair-hall.  This  hall  and  vestibule  are  so  placed  as  to  afford 
direct  access  to  a  parlor,  dining-room,  sitting-room,  and  kitch¬ 
en  ;  and  there  being  a  fire-place  in  the  vestibule,  it  will  be 
seen  at  a  glance  how  parlor,  dining-room,  and  sitting-room 
may  be  used  together  whenever  occasion  may  require.  The 
dining-room  and  kitchen  communicate  through  a  butler’s  pan¬ 
try.  The  library  may,  if  desirable,  have  an  outside  entrance 
from  the  veranda  in  front  of  the  kitchen. 


V  ILL AS . 


109 


The  arrangement  of  apartments  on  the  second  floor  is  admi¬ 
rable.  ‘Each  bedroom  has  a  separate  entrance  from  the  hall, 
and,  if  desired,  all  of  these  in  the  main  house  may  communi¬ 
cate  with  each  other.  The  ceiling  of  the  kitchen  wins:  is 


Fig.  79.  Fig.  SO. 


lower  than  that  of  the  main  house,  which  accounts  for  the 
stairs  or  steps  shown  in  the  plan ;  but  this  does  not  show  in 
the  first-floor  ceiling.  The  main  stairs  are  carried  up  to  the 
attic,  and  lighted  from  above ;  besides,  there  is  sufficient  light 
for  the  second-story  hall  and  passage,  from  a  window  at  the 
end  of  the  latter. 

In  the  first  design  (fig.  81)  the  walls  and  all  the  dressings, 
except  the  window  sills,  are  of  faced-brick  painted,  with  white 
mortar  or  dark  stone  putty.  The  roofs  are  of  tin  ornamented 
with  tin  rolls.  There  are  inside  shutters  to  all  the  windows  in 
the  main  house. 

The  ce'lings  of  the  main  house  are  12£  feet  high  for  the  first 


110 


The  House. 


story,  and  1(H  feet  for  the  second  story.  Those  of  kitchen 
wing  are  9 h  feet  and  9  feet  respectively.  Executed  in  a  liberal 


r 


Fbont  Elevation— No.  9. 


V  ILL  A8. 


Ill 


style  of  inside  finish,  the  cost  will  not  exceed  $9,000,  including 
furnace,  gas-pipes,  plumbing  work,  and  marble  mantles. 

Fig.  82  represents  a  front  elevation  of  the  same  house  with 
the  parlor  and  vestibule  omitted.  A  slight  alteration  in  the 
design  will  admit  of  these  being  afterward  added,  bringing  the 
house  into  the  form  represented  in  the  previous  design.  As 
here  shown,  it  makes  a  convenient  but  smaller  house. 

This  design  is  intended  to  be  executed  in  good  hard  brick, 
cemented  on  the  surface,  laid  out  in  courses  and  painted.  Al¬ 
though  some  architects  vehemently  protest  against  this  so-called 
mastic  wall,  it  is  to  be  recommended  for  suburban  houses  of 
moderate  pretensions,  if  the  work  be  performed  the  right  way. 

The  cost  of  this  house  will  not  exceed  $6,900,  all  included. 

IV.— A  GOTHIC  VILLA. 

This  house  is  entered  through  a  low  porch,  of  which  the 
principal  feature  is  three  pointed  arches  supported  on  four  oc¬ 
tangular  columns.  This  porch  leads  to  a  hall,  9.6x13.6,  and 
from  which  doors  open  into 
— 1st,  a  library  on  the  right, 

16X16,  which  is  converted 
from  a  square  into  an  octagon 
by  cutting  off  the  corners  in 
the  manner  shown,  thereby 
obtaining  four  closets  for 
books ;  2d,  a  parlor  on  the 
left,  16.6  X  18,  having  a 
bold,  projecting  window  in 
front ;  3d,  a  dining-room  be¬ 
hind  the  library,  17  X  17.3, 
lighted  by  a  bay  window, 
semi-octangular  on  the  plan, 
and  furnished  with  a  small 


Fig.  83. 


First  Floor  Plan. 


112 


The  House. 


closet,  for  plate,  taken  off  the  kitchen ;  and,  4tli,  a  staircase, 
terminating  in  a  back  entrance  which  opens  upon  a  veranda 
Two  other  doors  lead  from  the  staircase  ;  one  to  a  living-room 
on  the  left,  15X17,  and  the  other  to  a  kitchen  on  the  right, 
12.9X15,  having  a  pantry,  between  which  and  the  dining¬ 
room  closet  a  very  convenient  recess  is  obtained,  opposite  one 
of  the  windows,  for  the  table  ;  a  small  store-room  is  provided 
behind,  and  is  entered  from  the  kitchen. 

The  following  accommodation  is  obtained  upon  the  chamber 
story,  viz.,  a  closet  at  the  top  of  the  landing,  which  may  be  used 
as  a  linen  press;  a  bedroom,  15X15,  over  the  living-room, 
Fis-  841  with  a  closet ;  a  bath-room,  a 

bedroom  12.3  X  14,  and  a 
closet,  attached,  over  the  din¬ 
ing-room  ;  a  nursery,  16X 
16,  over  the  library  ;  a  bou¬ 
doir,  9.6  X  13.6,  over  the 
hall,  which  leads  to  a  balcony 
over  the  porch  ;  and  two  bed¬ 
rooms  over  the  parlor,  each 
of  which  is  furnished  with  a 
closet. 

The  stairs  leading  to  the 
Second  Floor  Plan.  tower  are  situated  immedi¬ 

ately  behind  the  nursery,  and  an  additional  closet  may  be 
formed  under  the  stairs,  if  thought  necessary.  The  nursery 
may  be  formed  into  an  octangular  shape,  if  preferred,  and  four 
closets  obtained,  as  in  the  library. 

There  are  fire-places  provided  to  the  nursery  and  to  the  bed¬ 
room  over  the  dining-room  ;  there  may  also  be  fire-places 
obtained  for  two  of  the  remaining  bedrooms,  namely,  that  over 
the  living-room  and  the  adjoining  one  over  the  parlor ;  these, 
in  the  present  arrangement,  it  is  proposed  to  heat  by  means  of 
flues,  and  for  this  purpose  the  flues  from  below  are  gathered 
into  one  shaft  between  the  closets. 

The  style  is  the  English  rural  Gothic  of  the  fifteenth  century. 


Fig  36 — A  Gotwto  Vtlu — Phrspbottv-b  Vtbw 


in 


The  House. 


The  quoins,  window-dressings,  porch,  coping  to  side  walls  and 
gables,  shields,  mullions  to  windows,  covers  to  projecting  win¬ 
dows,  embrasures  and  supporting  brackets  to  tower,  should  be 
of  roughly  chiseled  stone,  and  the  remainder  of  the  external 
work  of  rough  stone,  hammer  dressed,  bet  not  laid  in  courses. 
The  outer  walls  should  be  about  twenty  inches  thick;  the 
inner  walls  may  be  of  brick,  eight  inches  thick. 

It  may  perhaps  not  be  unnecessary  to  say  that  it  is  useless  to 
attempt  this  style  of  building  in  wood ;  the  quaintly  antique  and 
massive  character  of  the  architecture  can  not  be  obtained  other¬ 
wise  than  in  stone,  and  any  attempt  to  produce  it  in  timber 
will  only  result  in  a  caricature,  and  be  so  much  time  and  money 
thrown  away.  It  may  also  be  added,  that  this  style  will  not 
admit  of  external  shutters  of  any  kind ;  whatever  may  be 
needed  in  this  way  must  therefore  be  fixed  inside. 

V.— A  PICTURESQUE  VILLA. 

We  insert,  as  we  have  before  had  occasion  to  remark,  some 
very  queer  houses,  and  some  which  by  no  means  commend 
themselves  to  our  individual  taste  and  judgment,  because  we 
make  this  book  for  all  sorts  of  people — the  queer  ones  with  the 
rest — and  must  tolerate  all  tastes  and  opinions  while  freely  ex¬ 
pressing  our  own.  So  we  give  this  villa,  which  does  not  please 
us,  with  the  hope  that  it  will  please  somebody  else.  It  was 
designed  by  Mr.  Bradbury,  of  this  city.  The  following  is  his 
description : 

“This  building  is  supposed  to  have  grown  gradually  from  a 
log  cabin  to  its  present  comfortable  proportions.  The  propri¬ 
etor,  we  will  suppose,  goes  into  the  Western  wilds  and  selects 
a  beautiful  site,  and  (having,  of  course,  consulted  a  member  of 
that  profession  which  demands  as  much  study  as  ‘  law’  or 
‘  medicine’)  builds  his  (12x20  feet)  cabin,  which,  for  decency’s 
sake,  we  will  suppose  to  contain  two  apartments,  a  ‘parlor- 
kitchen’  (K. — 10X10)  and  a  bedroom  (W. — 10X8),  afterward 
used  as  a  kitchen  and  wash-room.  In  the  course  of  a  few  years 
he  adds  the  little  bedroom  (Pn. — 7  X  6)  and  staircase  (S. — 7X 12), 


Fig.  86.— A  Picturesque  Villa— Peespeoti^*  Vj*w 


116 


The  House. 


afterward  used  as  a  pantry  and  back  staircase.  The  girls  now 
have  a  snug  room  to  themselves,  while  the  boys  find  a  more 
Fig.  87.  commodious  dormitory  in  the  loft. 

The  house  now  presents  the  exterior 
of  fig.  87.  In  the  course  of  a  dozen 
years  the  country  around  becomes 
settled.  There  is  a  brick-kiln  and 
saw-mill  near  by.  Railroads  have 
cheapened  other  building  materials, 
and  increased  the  profitableness  of 
his  crops.  His  family  has  been  increased  by 

‘  Troops  of  tow-heads,  bobbing  in  the  com.1 
They  and  the  progress  of  civilization  call  for  an  enlargement  of 
his  habitation,  which  he  builds  according  to  the  original  plan 
(fig.  88),  the  old  house  now  serving  as  a  pantry  (Pn.),  kitchen 
Fig.  88. 


Perspective  View. 


(K.),  washroom  (W.),  and  back  staircase.  His  house  is  now 
comprised  in  the  entrance  hall  (L.  H. — 12x12),  square  draw¬ 
ing-room  (II. — 18X18),  circular  staircase  (C.  S. — 12X12),  the 
dining-room  (Dn. — 12X18),  into  which  the  winter  bedroom 
(R. — 12X12)  opens,  by  folding  doors,  so  that  they  can  be  made 
one  at  any  time  (and  make  one  long  dining-room  when  the 
bouse  is  further  enlarged).  He  may  throw  out  a  bay  window 


Fig.  :-9.— A  Picturesque  Vilia— Pjah. 


118 


The  House. 


here  or  a  piazza  there,  or  even  the  large  drawing-room 
(D.  R. — 00X25),  large  enough  to  hold  half  the  village;  hut 
the  house  with  these  additions  satisfies  him  for  vears 

“  His  sons  get  into  successful  business  in  the  neighboring 
city  ;  his  daughters  are  well  married  and  have  ‘  been  abroad, 
and  they  all  insist  upon  adding  the  coach  porch  (C.),  the 
cabinet  (O.,  octagonal — 18X24),  the  family  drawing-room 
(P. — 18X30),  the  library  (L.,  circular,  30  feet  across),  the  pic 
ture  gallery  (P.  G.,  lighted  from  the  roof — 30X60,  or  more), 
and  the  aviary,  grapery,  or  winter  garden  (W.  G.),  and  upon 
making  the  square  drawing-room  (H.)  a  grand  entrance  hall 
open  to  roof,  with  galleries  leading  to  the  various  chambers, 
provision  for  which  has  been  made  in  framing  the  floors. 

“  The  house  or  villa  now  consists  of  the  grand  entrance  hall 
(II.),  with  its  vestibules  and  coach  porch  ;  the  large  drawing¬ 
room  (D.  R.),  with  its  accessory  boudoir  (B.),;  piazzas,  hays, 
and  balconies ;  the  dining-room  (Hu.  R.),  with  its  closets,  pan¬ 
try,  kitchen,  etc. ;  the  small  drawing-room  (P.),  the  library 
(L.),  the  picture  gallery  (P.  G.),  the  winter  garden  (W.  G.),  and  ( 
the  cabinet  (O.).  The  upper  stories  are  conveniently  divided 
into  chambers,  dressing-rooms,  bath-rooms,  corridors,  etc.” 

VI.— A  SOUTHERN  VILLA. 

This  house  consists  of  a  large  center  and  two  wings,  connected 
by  two  covered  arcades  of  one  story  each.  It  is  entered  under 
a  veranda  12  feet  wide,  which  extends  the  whole  length  of  the 
front,  and  is  also  continued  around  each  side  of  the  projecting 
portion  of  the  center.  The  entrance  door  leads  to  an  elliptical 
vestibule,  10X17,  having  four  niches  for  statuettes,  vases, 
etc.  The  vestibule  opens  on  the  right  into  a  parlor,  17X21, 
and  on  the  left  into  a  drawing-room  of  a  like  size.  Each  of 
these  rooms  is  lighted  by  two  windows,  of  which  those  at  the 
ends  of  the  rooms  are  projecting.  The  vestibule  at  its  farther 
end  leads  into  a  hall  8  feet  wide,  which  extends  across  the  whole 


120 


The  House. 


central  portion  of  the  building,  and  being  continued  outside  of 
the  center  at  each  end  so  far  as  to  embrace  the  veranda,  ter¬ 
minates  in  an  open  arcade  which  leads  to  the  wings.  The 
center  and  wings  at  the  rear  of  the  building  are  also  connected 
by  two  open  arcades  in  the  manner  shown.  Passing  across 
the  hall,  we  find  the  principal  stairs,  consisting  of  three  flights 
— a  central  flight  leading  to  the  first  landing,  and  two  return 
flights,  one  on  each  side  of 'the  central,  each  of  which  return 
or  side  flights  lands  upon  the  chamber  floor.  The  staircase  is 
14.6X17,  and  the  entrance  to  it  may  be  richly  ornamented  by 
means  of  two  pilasters  or  columns  supporting  an  arch  above. 
Passing  on  toward  the  rear  of  the  building  under  the  first 
Fig.  81. 


landing  of  the  stairs,  we  find  two  closets  to  the  right,  and  under 
the  first  landing  a  door  leading  to  a  gentleman’s  dressing-room, 
10X12.6,  with  closet  attached;  and  at  the  opposite  side  of 
the  landing  we  find  a  door  opening  upon  a  lobby  which  leads 
to  one  of  the  arcades  at  the  rear  of  the  building,  before  noticed. 
Returning  to  the  hall,  and  proceeding  along  it  to  (he  right 
of  the  principal  entrance,  we  find  a  dining-room,  16X28, 
lighted  by  a  large  window  at  one  end ;  it  is  octangular  in 
form,  and  by  making  it  of  this  shape,  four  closets  are  obtained 
at  the  angles,  as  shown.  This  room  has  three  doors,  one 
opening  upon  one  of  the  arcades  at  the  rear,  another  opening 


V ILLAS. 


121 


to  a  passage  which  communicates  with  the  waiter’s  room,  and 
the  third  opening  to  the  hail.  The  waiter’s  room  is  7.6x9, 
and  communicates  with — a  small  closet;  a  pantry,  6x13.6; 
and  a  store-room,  8.6X13.6;  the  store-room  has  also  a  door 
into  the  front  arcade.  Continuing  our  progress  along  the  ar¬ 
cade,  we  find,  immediately  after  passing  the  store-room,  a  lobby 
which  leads  to  a  gentleman’s  bath-room,  and  also  communi¬ 
cates  with  a  staircase  in  the  right  wing  of  the  building.  Two 
doors  open  at  the  bottom  of  this  staircase — one  to  a  billiard- 
room,  16X18.6,  at  the  rear  of  the  wing,  having  a  closet  under 
the  stairs  before  alluded  to,  and  with  a  door  opening  upon  one 
of  the  rear  arcades ;  the  other  door  at  the  bottom  of  the  stairs, 
leads  to  a  smoking-room.,  11  3x16,  which  has  also  a  door 
communicating  with  the  arcade  in  front.  Two  closets  are 
attached  to  the  smoking-room,  with  a  door  between  opening 
upon  a  platform  occupying  the  space  between  the  closets, 
extending  to  the  front  of  the  wing,  and  covered  so  as  to  form 
an  open  recessed  space  from  the  front  wall  of  the  wing,  which 
admits  of  smoking  in  the  open  air. 

Proceeding  again  along  the  hall,  but  to  the  left  of  the  prin¬ 
cipal  entrance,  we  come  to  a  boudoir,  13.6X8.6,  elliptical  on 
plan,  with  four  niches  as  in  the  vestibule,  and  for  similar  pur¬ 
poses;  the  boudoir  opens  into  a  lady’s  dressing-room,  8X13.6. 
which  last  is  also  entered  from  the  hall.  Succeeding  this  is  a 
nursery,  13.6X16,  communicating  with  a  bedroom,  13.6x14, 
which  is  also  entered  from  the  arcade.  The  arcade  terminates 
at  the  remaining  or  left  wing  of  the  building,  with  which  it 
communicates  by  a  door  which  leads  into  a  large  lobby,  con¬ 
taining  the  stairs  to  the  chamber  floor,  and  two  closets,  between 
which  is  a  side  entrance  door.  This  lobby  leads  to  an  octan¬ 
gular  library,  16x16,  which  communicates  with  a  cabinet, 
12X16,  from  which  a  door  opens  to  the  left  arcade  at  the  rear 
of  the  building. 

The  second  or  chamber  story  is  divided  as  follows :  two 
triangular  spaces  are  taken  off  the  second  landing  of  the  prin¬ 
cipal  stairs,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  preserve  the  symmetry ; 

6 


122 


The  House. 


the  landing  is  thus  converted  into  a  semi-octagon,  and  this 
process,  in  conjunction  with  that  of  narrowing  the  hall  to  five 
feet,  enables  us  to  obtain  a  number  of  closets,  which  are  appro¬ 
priated  as  shown  on  the  plan.  The  entrance  from  this  landing 
to  the  hall  may  be  ornamented  in  a  manner  somewhat  similar 
to  the  lower  entrance  before  described. 

A  passage  commencing  at  the  landing  on  the  dining-room 
side,  leads  to  two  bedrooms  over  the  dining-room,  that  next 
the  passage  being  13.6X15,  and  the  other  15x16;  these  may 
be  made  of  equal  size,  if  preferred ;  each  has  a  closet  attached. 
The  passage  turns  at  right  angles,  leads  to  a  linen  press,  and 
terminates  at  a  lady’s  bath-room.  Bedrooms  are  also  obtained 
over  the  parlor  and  drawing-room,  each  16X17.6,  and  over  the 


Fig.  92. 


boudoir,  13x18.6.  All  these  bedrooms  have  closets  attached, 
leaving  two  closets  opening  from  the  passage,  unattached  to  any 
bedroom,  and  which  may  be  applied  to  whatever  purpose  may 
be  thought  advisable.  A  circular  room,  17  feet  diameter,  is 
located  over  the  vestibule  ;  this  room,  with  a  circular  table  in 
the  center,  covered  with  rare  shells,  bijouterie,  etc.,  and  with 
statuettes  or  vases  in  the  niches,  may  be  made  to  assume  a 
very  rich  and  ornamental  character. 

The  windows  to  the  parlor  and  drawing-room,  to  the  bed¬ 
rooms  over  them,  and  to  the  circular  room,  should  be  French 


Villas.  123 

casements  opening  to  the  floor,  so  as  to  allow  access  to  the 
veranda  and  balcony. 

Two  bedrooms  are  also  obtained  over  the  billiard  and  smok¬ 
ing  rooms;  the  former  15.6X15,  and  the  latter  13X15,  with 
closets  to  each;  and  two  more  bedrooms,  with  attached  closets, 
and  an  additional  large  closet,  are  provided  over  the  library 
and  cabinet;  that  over  the  library  being  12x13.6,  and  that 
over  the  cabinet  12X13.  The  stairs  to  the  tower  are  situated 
along  the  external  wall  of  the  building,  over  the  two  closets 
before  mentioned,  as  shown  on  the  plan. 

Access  to  the  flat  on  the  roof  may  be  obtained  by  a  step- 
ladder,  which  may  be  removed  when  not  in  use ;  or,  what  is 
still  better,  a  flight  of  stairs  may  be  constructed  in  the  space 
occupied  by  the  two  closets  adjacent  to  the  bedroom  over  the 
boudoir,  and  inclosed  by  a  door  so  arranged  as  not  to  interfere 
with  the  symmetrical  appearance  of  the  hall.  Should  this 
latter  method  be  adopted,  two  or  three  bedrooms  may  be 
formed  in  the  roof,  and  lighted  by  skylights  from  the  flat. 

The  style  is  Italian.  The  quoins,  the  window  and  door 
dressings,  the  chimney  tops,  and  the  arcades  are  proposed  to 
be  of  stone ;  the  remainder  of  the  external  walls  of  good, 
square,  well-burned  brick.  The  quoins  and  window  dressings 
to  the  first  story  are  to  be  of  the  kind  of  work  commonly 
known  as  rock-work  ;  that  is  to  say,  the  stones  are  to  be  first 
hammer-dressed,  then  truly  bedded  and  jointed,  and  lastly  a 
margin  draft  chiseled  off  the  outer  edges  of  the  external  sur¬ 
faces  ;  this  draft  should  be  about  two  inches  wide,  leaving  the 
remainder  of  the  external  faces  rough  from  the  hammer.  It  is 
also  proposed  to  execute  part  of  the  mason  work  of  the  arcades 
and  of  the  wings  in  this  style;  but  the  portions  of  the  eleva¬ 
tion  in  which  it  is  proposed  to  introduce  this  description  of 
stone-cutting  are  sufficiently  indicated  on  the  engraving.  The 
quoins  and  dressings  to  the  second  story  are  to  project  from 
the  face  of  the  brick-work,  and  to  have  the  angles  chamfered 
off.  A  good  idea  of  the  remaining  features  of  the  elevation 
will,  it  is  presumed,  be  obtained  from  the  engraving. 


Fig  93.— An  Octagon  Villa— Perspective  Vtew. 


V  ILLAS. 


J  25 


VII.-AN  OCTAGON  VILLA. 

Tl.e  main  body  of  this  house  is  a  regular  octagon  on  the  plan, 
each  side  being  20  feet,  giving  the  whole  width  of  the  main 
house  48  feet ;  with  12  feet  additional  for  the  wings.  Rect¬ 
angular  apartments  are  built  against  four  of  the  walls,  form¬ 
ing  four  projections,  each  of  which  is  18.8x10,  clear  dimen¬ 
sions.  The  principal  building— that  is,  the  octagon — is  two 
stories  high,  and  the  wings  one  story.  The  whole  structure. 


Fig.  94. 


for  the  purpose  of  giving  effect  to  the  elevation,  is  raised  about 
six  feet  above  the  adjoining  ground. 

A  flight  of  steps  in  front  lands  upon  a  veranda  six  feet  wide 
from  which  we  enter  through  the  front  door  to  a  vestibule, 
7x7,  and  from  which,  passing  through  a  glass  door,  we  enter 
the  hall,  seven  feet  wide,  which  is  continued  through  the 
building,  having  the  rear  entrance  door  at  its  farther  extremity. 
Immediately  inside  of  the  glass  door  we  find  a  door  on  each 
side  of  the  hall ;  that  to  the  right  opens  into  a  small,  irregularly- 


126 


The  Hcuse. 


shaped  reception-room,  of  which  the  length  inside,  measuring 
across  the  fire-place,  is  13.6;  and  parallel  to  the  hall,  12.6. 
This  room  leads  into  an  elliptical  boudoir,  10X18.8,  with 
niches  in  the  walls.  The  door  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  hall 
leads  to  a  lobby,  from  which  we  enter  into  a  cloak-closet  5x6; 
and  going  forward  through  the  opposite  door,  we  find  ourselves 
in  the  conservatory.  This  room  is  also  irregular  in  form,  but 
notwithstanding  its  irregularity,  a  slight  glance  will  show  ;hat 
it  is  symmetrical.  The  wall  of  the  main  building,  which  cuts 
it  into  two  unequal  portions,  is  perforated  so  as  to  allow  of 
the  introduction  of  Gothic  columns  and  arches;  and  it  is  pro¬ 
posed  not  only  to  have  the  arches  open,  but  also  the  spandrels 
between,  and  the  whole  of  the  space  above  to  the  ceiling; 
these  perforations  will,  of  course,  be  molded,  and  cusps,  foils, 
and  other  Gothic  ornaments  introduced ;  creeping  plants  may 
be  trained  around  the  columns  and  through  the  openings,  and 
if  the  ornamentation  be  of  that  light  and  graceful  character  of 
which  the  Gothic  supplies  such  a  variety,  a  very  pleasing  and 
picturesque  effect  may  be  produced.  Proceeding  along  the 
hall,  we  find  two  doors  opening  into  the  drawing-room  on  the 
left,  and  also  two  doors  opening  into  the  dining-room  on  the 
right;  each  of  these  rooms  is  19x19.3  ;  the  former  opens  also 
into  the  conservatory ;  the  latter  has  a  small  closet  attached 
for  plate.  Proceeding  farther  along  the  hall,  we  find  the  stairs 
to  the  right,  and  enter  the  breakfast-room  from  a  passage  formed 
under  the  upper  landing ;  a  door  from  this  passage  opens  to  the 
basement  stairs,  leading  to  the  kitchen  and  other  offices  below. 
The  breakfast-room  is  10X16.3,  and  is  fitted  up  with  two  closets; 
it  has  also  a  fire-place  projecting  outward,  which  may  be  made 
an  ornamental  feature  in  the  elevation.  On  the  other  side  of 
the  hall  we  find  a  passage  leading  to  a  bedroom,  10X18.8, 
having  also  a  projecting  fire-place  and  a  small  closet.  A  door 
opens  from  this  passage  into  a  store-room.  At  the  rear  of  the 
building  another  veranda  is  found,  with  a  flight  of  steps  as  at 
the  front. 

Ascending  the  stairs,  we  enter  a  bedroom  on  the  landing, 


V ILLA8. 


127 


13x19.3,  and  passing  forward  we  find  a  bath  to  the  right, 
7x7,  and  still  farther  we  find  two  bedroom  doors,  one  of  which 
leads  to  an  irregular-shaped  room,  being  over  the  store-room 
and  passage  on  the  principal  floor;  the  other,  over  the  draw¬ 
ing-room,  is  the  same  size  as  that  already  described,  13x19.3 ; 
each  of  these  bedrooms  is  provided  with  a  closet.  If  a  greater 
number  of  rooms  be  desired,  these  principal  bedrooms  can  be 
divided  in  the  manner  shown  by  the  dotted  lines.  It  is  sup¬ 
posed  the  servants1  bedrooms  will  be  in  the  basement.  Oppo¬ 
site  the  bath-room  door  we  find  a  door  leading  to  au  octangu¬ 
lar  picture  gallery,  19.3X19.3,  from  which,  on  the  opposite 


Fig.  95. 


side,  a  door  opens  into  a  symmetrical  room  in  the  form  of  an 
irregular  hexagon,  The  extreme  length  of  this  room  is  31.6  by 
12.9  broad.  These  two  rooms  may  be  made  to  form,  not  only 
the  most  attractive  feature  of  the  house,  but  if  skillfully  treated 
will  make  a  combination  the  like  of  which  is  rarely  met  with 
in  a  house  of  such  limited  extent  as  this.  The  octagon  room 
may  have  a  groined  paneled  ceiling,  the  ribs  springing  from 
Gothic  columns  attached  to  the  walls  at  the  angles  of  the  room, 
and  terminating  against  the  angles  of  an  octangular  lantern 


128 


The  House. 


light  surrounded  by  a  richly  ornamented  cornice;  the  lantern 
to  be  filled  in  with  stained  glass,  and  to  project  a  considerable 
height  above  the  roof.  The  principal  point  of  attraction  in  the 
adjoining  room  will  be  the  noble  Gothic  window,  which,  if 
managed  as  a  Gothic  window  may  be  managed,  with  mul- 
lions,  cusps,  foils,  stained  glass,  and  all  the  other  etceteras,  will, 
in  conjunction  with  the  octagon  room,  when  the  door  is  thrown 
open,  have  a  magnificent  effect. 

Two  balconies  are  provided  in  front :  one  over  the  conserv¬ 
atory,  the  other  over  the  boudoir ;  to  be  entered  from  the 
front  room. 

The  building  has  eight  gables;  it  also  has  eight  ridges  and 
eight  valleys,  meeting  at  the  lantern  in  the  center.  The  gables 
are  ornamented  with  verge  boards  of  different  patterns,  so 
that  each  front  presents  a  different  appearance ;  and  the  chim¬ 
neys  are  so  contrived  that  the  stacks  will  stand  one  half  on 
each  side  of  a  ridge. 

We  give  no  estimate  of  the  expense  of  this  house,  as  it  is  one 
on  which  a  great  amount  of  ornamental  work  can  be  put  to  ad¬ 
vantage,  or  it  can  be  built  quite  plain.  The  style  in  which  it 
is  finished  will,  to  a  great  degree,  govern  the  expense.  Plainly 
finished,  it  can  be  erected  for  $5,000;  and  $25,000  can  be  spent 
on  it  with  ease,  if  the  builder  desires  to  make  it  what  it  can  be 
made,  one  of  the  most  unique  and  tasteful  houses  ever  erected. 


Barns.  Etc. 


129 


VIII. 

BARNS,  AND  OTHER  OUT-BUILDINGS. 

There  Is  the  barn — and,  as  of  yore, 

I  can  smell  the  hay  from  the  open  door, 

And  ste  the  busy  swallows  throng, 

And  hear  the  peewee’s  mournful  song. 

Oh,  ye  who  dally  cross  the  sill, 

Step  lightly,  for  I  love  it  still  ; 

And  when  you  crowd  the  old  barn  eaves, 

Then  think  what  countless  harvest  sheaves 
Have  passed  within  that  scented  door, 

To  gladden  eyes  that  are  no  more. — T.  B.  Bead. 

I. — PRELIMINARY  REMARKS. 

LL  that  we  need  say  in  introduction  to 
our  designs  may  be  embraced  in  a  single 
paragraph.  Let  your  out-buildings  cor¬ 
respond  in  character  with  your  house, 
and  be  as  simple  in  plan  and  as  unpre¬ 
tending  in  style  as  adaptation  to  their 
uses  and  an  agreeable  and  appropriate 
external  appearance  will  permit.  A  stable  should  pass  for  a 
stable,  and  not  be  so  elaborate  as  to  be  mistaken  for  a  farm- 
cottage.  To  build  a  poultry-house  in  the  form  of  a  palace 
is  equally  absurd.  Let  each  seem  to  be  just  what  it  is,  and 
present  an  example  of  complete  fitness  for  the  purpose  of  its 
erection. 

Our  designs,  in  general,  require  very  little  explanation,  and 
speak  for  themselves.  We  present  them  in  the  hope  that,  where 
they  may  not  be  found  exactly  adapted  to  particular  cases,  they 
may,  at  least,  furnish  useful  hints  toward  the  thing  required. 
Some  of  them  have  stood  the  test  of  actual  construction  and 
use,  and  have  proved  well  adapted  to  their  purposes. 

6* 


130 


The  House. 


II.— LEWIS  P.  ALLEN’S  BABN. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  “Annual  Register  of  Rural  Affairs’ 
for  the  accompanying  design.  It  represents  one  of  the  best 
barns,  probably,  ever  erected  in  this  country,  and,  although 
much  larger  than  will  generally  be  required,  furnishes  a  model 
in  most  respects  for  a  structure  of  any  desired  size.  We  copy 
from  the  “Register”  so  much  of  the  description  as  will  serve 
our  purpose : 

“  The  body  of  the  main  harn  is  100  feet  long  by  50  feet 
wide,  the  posts  18  feet  high  above  the  sill,  making  9  bents.  The 
beams  are  14  feet  above  the  sills,  which  is  the  height  of  the 
inner  posts.  The  position  of  the  floor  and  bays  is  readily  un¬ 
derstood  from  the  plan.  The  floor,  for  a  grain  barn,  is  14  feet 
wide,  but  may  be  contracted  to  12  feet  for  one  exclusively  for 
hay.  The  area  in  front  of  the  bays  is  occupied  with  a  station¬ 
ary  horse-power  and  with  machinery  for  various  farm  opera¬ 
tions,  such  as  threshing,  shelling  corn,  cutting  straw,  crushing 
grain,  etc.,  all  of  which  is  driven  by  bands  from  drums  on  the 
horizontal  shaft  overhead,  which  runs  across  the  floor  from  the 
horse-power  on  the  other  side ;  this  shaft  being  driven  by  a 
cog-wheel  on  the  perpendicular  shaft  round  which  the  horses 
travel. 

“  A  passage  four  feet  wide  extends  between  the  bays  and  the 
stables,  which  occupy  the  two  wings.  This  extends  up  to  the  top 
of  the  bays,  down  which  the  hay  is  thrown  for  feeding,  which 
renders  this  work  as  easy  and  convenient  as  possible. 

“  The  floor  of  the  main  barn  is  three  feet  higher  than  that 
of  the  stables.  This  will  allow  a  cellar  under  it,  if  desired — or 
a  deeper  extension  of  the  bays — and  it  allows  storage  lofts  over 
the  cattle,  with  sufficient  slope  of  roof.  A  short  flight  of 
steps  at  the  ends  of  each  passage  admits  easy  access  from  the 
level  of  the  barn  floor. 

“  The  line  of  mangers  is  two  feet  wide.  A  manure  window 
is  placed  at  every  12  feet.  The  stalls  are  double;  that  is, 
for  two  animals  each,  which  are  held  to  their  places  by  a  rope 
and  chain,  attached  to  a  staple  and  ring  at  each  corner  of  the 


131 


Barns, 


Etc. 


stall.  This  mode  is  preferred  to  securing  by  stanchions.  A 
pole  or  scantling,  placed  over  their  heads,  prevents  them  from 
climbing  so  as  to  get  their  feet  into  the  mangers,  which  they 
are  otherwise  very  apt  to  do. 

“  The  sheds,  which  extend  on  the  three  sides  of  the  barn, 


and  touch  it  at  the  rear  end,  are  on  a  level  with  the  stables. 
An  inclined  plane,  from  the  main  floor  through  the  middle  of 
the  back  shed,  forms  a  rear  egress  for  wagons  and  carts,  de¬ 
scending  three  feet  from  the  floor.  The  two  rooms,  one  on 
each  side  of  this  rear  passage,  16  by  34  feet,  may  be  used  for 


Fig.  96. 


132 


The  House. 


housing  sick  animals,  cows  about  to  calve,  or  any  other  pur¬ 
pose  required.  The  stables  at  the  front  ends  of  the  sheds  are 
convenient  for  teams  of  horses  or  oxen,  or  they  may  be  fitted 
for  wagon-houses,  tool-houses,  or  other  purposes.  The  rooms, 
16  feet  square  at  the  inner  corners  of  the  sheds,  may  be  used 
for  weak  ewes,  lambs,  or  for  a  bull-stable. 

“  Racks  or  mangers  may  be  fitted  up  in  the  open  sheds  for 
feeding  sheep  or  young  cattle,  and  yards  may  be  built  adjoin¬ 
ing,  on  the  rear,  six  or  eight  in  number,  into  which  they  may 
run  and  be  kept  separate.  Barred  partitions  may  separate  the 
different  flocks.  Bars  may  also  inclose  the  opening  in  front, 
or  they  may,  if  required,  be  boarded  up  tight.  Step-ladders  are 
placed  at  convenient  intervals,  for  ascending  the  shed  lofts. 

“A  granary  over  the  machine-room  is  entered  by  a  flight  of 
stairs.  Poles  extending  from  bay  to  bay,  over  the  floor,  will 
admit  the  storage  of  much  additional  hay  or  grain.  As  straw 
can  not  be  well  kept  when  exposed  to  the  weather,  and  is  at 
the  same  time  becoming  more  valuable  as  its  uses  are  better 
understood,  we  would  suggest  that  the  space  on  these  cross 
poles  be  reserved  for  its  deposit  from  the  elevator  from  thresh¬ 
ing  grain,  or  until  space  is  made  for  it  in  one  of  the  bays. 

“  A  one-sided  roof  is  given  to  the  sheds  (instead  of  a  double¬ 
sided),  to  throw  all  the  water  on  the  outside ,  in  order  to  keep 
the  interior  of  the  yards  dry.  Eave-troughs  take  the  water 
from  the  roofs  to  cisterns.  The  cisterns,  if  connected  by  an 
underground  pipe,  may  be  all  drawn  from  by  a  single  pump  if 
necessary.” 

III.— ME.  CHAMBERLAIN'S  OCTAGON  BAEN. 

The  accompanying  cut  represents  the  ground  plan  of  an  oc¬ 
tagon  barn  erected  by  Mr.  Calvin  Chamberlain,  of  Foxcroft 
Maine,  and  described  in  the  “  Reports  of  the  Board  of  Agri¬ 
culture”  of  that  State. 

The  plan  is  on  a  scale  of  15  feet  to  the  inch,  which  shows 
the  structure  to  be  a  trifle  over  36  feet  in  diameter. 

“  There  is  a  cellar  under  the  whole,  eight  feet  deep,  and  a 


133 


Barns,  Etc. 

cart-way  leading  out  on  a  level.  The  floor  is  ten  feet  in  the  clear; 
doors  same  width  and  height ;  height  below  scaffold,  seven 
and  a  half  feet  clear;  entire  height  of  walls,  19  feet.  A  door 

Fis.  97. 


is  shown  opening  north  to  the  pasture,  four  feet  wide  and  seven 
and  a  half  feet  high  ;  one  south,  same  size,  opening  to  yard ;  one 
on  southwest  side  communicates  with  other  buildings.  Stairs 
lead  to  cellar  and  hay-loft.  Passage-way  behind  cattle  stalls 
five  feet  wide,  admitting  wheelbarrow  to  pass  at  any  time  to  any 
manure  scuttle.  Gates  hanging  to  outer  wall  close  passages  to 
stalls,  so  that  any  animal  may  occupy  its  place  untied.  Side¬ 
lights  at  large  doors,  and  a  large  window  on  opposite  side,  one 
sash  of  which  slides  horizontally,  light  the  stable.  Four  large 
windows,  set  quite  up  to  the  plates,  light  the  hay-loft.  These 
let  down  at  top,  and  are  left  down  half  the  year ;  the  two-feet 
projection  of  the  roof  protects  them  from  all  storms.  Cellar  is 
lighted  by  four  double  windows  and  the  side-light  at  head  of 
stairs.  The  opeu  space,  13  feet  long,  at  end  of  floor,  admits 


134 


The  House. 


the  horse,  so  that  the  hay-cart  is  brought  to  the  center  of  the 
barn  for  unloading.  A  scaffold  13  feet  long  is  put  over  the 
floor,  and  12  feet  above  it.” 

This  small  barn,  Mr.  Chamberlain  says,  will  store  20  tons  of 
hay. 

IV.— ME.  BECKWITH’S  OCTAGON  BARN 

The  annexed  cut  represents  the  basement  plan  of  the  barn 
erected  by  E.  W.  Beckwith,  Principal  of  the  Boys’  Boarding 
School,  at  Cromwell,  Middlesex  County,  Connecticut,  in  Sep¬ 
tember,  1S58. 

The  beauty  and  convenience  of  the  arrangement  for  stalls 
and  feeding  can  be  seen  at  a  glance.  The  octagon  form  is 
adopted  because  it  is  best  adapted  to  inclose  the  desired  plan. 

This  building,  301  feet  short  diameter,  12£  feet  each  side,  or 
100  feet  inside  circumference,  and  13  feet  each  outside,  or  104 


Fif?.  98. 


feet  circumference  when  the  wall  is  14  inches  thick,  as  in  the 
present  case,  incloses  an  area  of  750  feet. 

The  wall  is  grouted  stone  work,  laid  up  between  planks  cut 
the  right  length  for  each  inside  and  outside  of  angle,  held  to 


135 


Barns,  Etc. 

the  proper  distance  apart  by  cast-iron  clamps  pierced  with 
holes  at  each  end  to  receive  the  iron  dowels  driven  into  each 
edge  of  the  planks.  These  planks,  when  in  an  upright  position 
on  the  wall,  should  be  plumbed  and  staylatlied  preparatory  to 
laying  the  stone.  The  basement  floor  is  cemented,  the  horses 
standing  on  a  movable  slat-work,  which  keeps  the  bedding 
dry.  The  height  of  this  story  should  be  eight  feet ;  the  clear 
space  from  the  stalls  to  the  wall,  four  feet  wide  ;  the  stalls  six 
feet  long,  including  manger-box,  which  leaves  a  circle  in  the 
center  about  ten  feet  diameter  as  the  base  of  a  cone,  over 
which  all  the  feed  is  thrown  down  to  the  animals.  Under  the 
cone  is  a  fine  place  for  a  water-tank  or  pump. 

The  remaining  space,  when  not  wanted  for  stalls,  furnishes 
room  for  cleaning  off  horses,  for  storing  roots,  for  an  ice-house, 
or  any  other  purpose  for  which  it  may  be  wanted. 

The  feeding  place  is  a  hole  about  three  feet  square  over  the 
apex  of  the  cone,  which  can  be  covered  with  a  scuttle. 

The  walls  are  26  feet  high  from  the  foundation,  giving  16 
feet  altitude  above  the  barn  floor,  which  can  be  left  clear  and 
open  to  the  roof,  thus  allowing  the  hay  to  be  deposited  in  any 
direction  and  to  any  required  proportion  of  the  space  ;  a  gang¬ 
way  to  the  feed-hole  being  left,  or  cut  afterward,  at  option. 
There  is  one  door,  9  by  10  feet,  to  this  floor,  for  carriages,  etc., 
the  hay  being  taken  in  at  a  window  on  the  up-hill  side.  Of 
course  a  place  would  be  partitioned  off  if  carriages  are  to  be 
housed  in  the  barn. 

The  cost  of  this  stone  barn,  covered  with  mastic  roofing  at 
five  cents  a  foot,  will  be  about  $325. 

The  walls  cost  $230,  but  closer  personal  attention  would 
have  made  them  cheaper.  A  wood  barn  on  the  same  base¬ 
ment  would  have  cost  at  least  $40  more,  and  not  be  as  good 
for  many  reasons. 

There  is  nothing  to  burn  by  fire  but  one  floor,  and  the  roof 
and  the  walls  would  be  left  for  another. 

The  utility  of  narrow  stalls,  in  this  case  five  feet  wide  at  the 
broad  end  and  two  feet  at  the  manger,  may  be  questioned  by 


3  36 


The  House. 


some  ;  but  you  have  that  matter  entirely  according  to  fancy, 
the  peculiar  feature  of  this  plan  being  that  they  all  point  to  the 
center.  It  is  peculiarly  adapted  to  those  gentlemen  who  wish 
to  keep  horses  and  cows,  and  be  able  to  feed  them  without  too 
much  labor  or  time  and  exposure  to  dirt. 

You  can  have  a  hired  man  or  not,  as  you  choose,  which  is 
sometimes  desirable.  This  plan,  if  not  adopted  by  others,  may 
serve  a  good  purpose  as  a  suggester. 

T.-A  CIRCULAR  BARN. 

The  barn,  plans  of  which  are  herewith  presented,  was  built 
by  the  Shakers  of  Berkshire  County,  Massachusetts,  and  is  cer¬ 
tainly  worthy  of  the  attention  of  farmers  contemplating  the 


Fig.  99. 


A.,  doors  ;*  B.,  stairs;  D.,  calf-pens ;  E.,  alleys ;  F.?  stalls;  G.,  granary ;  H. 
double  doors ;  T.,  windows. 

erection  of  barns  on  a  large  scale.  It  is  100  feet  diameter,  built 
of  stone — a  material  that  is  very  abundant  in  that  part  of  Mas¬ 
sachusetts — two  stories  high,  the  first  one  being  only  seven  and 


•  Ad.  error  in  the  plana  represents  the  doors  as  windows,  and  vice  versa. 


Bakns,  Etc.  137 

a  ha;J  feet  between  floors,  and  contains  stalls  for  seventy  head 
of  cattle,  and  two  calf-stables.  These  stalls  are  situated  in  a 
circle  next  the  outer  wall,  with  the  heads  of  the  animals  point- 


Fig.  too. 


ing  inward,  looking  into  an  alley  in  which  the  feeder  passes 
around  in  front  of  and  looking  into  the  face  of  every  animal. 
The  circle  forming  the  stable  and  alley-way  is  14  feet  wide, 
inside  of  which  is  the  great  bay.  Over  the  stable  and  alley  is 
the  threshing-floor,  which  is  14  feet  wide  and  about  300  feet 
long  on  the  outer  side,  into  which  a  dozen  loads  of  hay  may  be 
hauled,  and  all  be  unloaded  at  the  same  time  into  the  bay  in 
the  center 

There  should  be  a  large  chimney  formed  of  timbers  open  in 
the  center  of  such  a  mass  of  hay,  connecting  with  air-tubes 
under  the  stable  floor,  extending  out  to  the  outside  of  the 
building,  and  with  a  large  ventilator  in  the  peak  of  the  roof. 
We  should  also  recommend  an  extension  of  the  eaves  beyond 
the  outer  wall,  by  means  of  brackets,  so  as  to  form  a  shed 
over  the  doors,  and  the  manure  thrown  out  of  the  stables  and 
piled  against  the  wall. 


138 


The  House. 


VI.— A  SIDE-HILL  BARN. 

We  copy  the  accompanying  plans  and  the  description  from 
the  American  Agriculturist  for  September,  1858,  where  a  per¬ 
fective  view  of  the  barn  is  also  given. 

Entering  the  barn  at  either  end,  as  shown  in  the  main  floor 
plan,  there  is  a  floor,  either  12  or  14  feet  wide,  as  may  be 
most  convenient,  which  passes  through  the  entire  length.  On 


Fig.  101. 


one  side  is  a  large  bay  for  hay  or  grain  in  the  sheaf.  Oppo¬ 
site,  in  part,  is  another  bay.  Next  to  that  a  passage  of  five  feet 
wide,  to  carry  out  straw  or  hay  to  throw  down  below  into  the 
yard.  Next  to  the  passage  is  a  granary,  and  adjoining  it  a 
tool-house,  or  area  for  threshing  machines,  straw-cutters,  etc., 
with  a  partition  off  from  the  floor,  or  not,  at  pleasure.  Nine 
feet  above  the  floor,  on  each  side,  should  be  a  line  of  girts, 


139 


Barns,  Etc. 


connecting  the  inner  posts,  on  which  may  be  thrown  loose 
poles  to  hold  a  temporary  scaffold  for  the  storage  of  hay,  or 
grain  in  the  sheaf,  when  required.  By  such  arrangement  the 
barn  can  be  filled  to  the  peak  or  ridge-pole,  and  the  ventilator 
above  will  carry  out  all  the  heated  air  and  moisture  given  off 
from  the  forage  stored  within.  Slatted  windows,  or  side  ven¬ 
tilators,  may  be  put  in  the  side  next  to  the  yard,  if  required. 
The  roof  has  a  “third”  pitch,  or  one  foot  rise  to  two  feet  in 
width,  which  lasts  longer  and  gives  more  storage  than  a  flat¬ 
ter  one. 

The  frame  of  the  barn  above  is  00  by  50  feet,  with  posts  set 
npon  stones  below,  to  support  the  overshot  sill,  as  shown  in 


Fig.  102. 


the  ground  plan.  Underneath  are  four  lines  of  stalls,  two  on 
each  side  of  the  center  passage-way,  heading  each  other,  with 
a  four-foot  feeding  alley  between  them,  receiving  the  forage 
from  above,  from  which  it  is  thrown  into  the  mangers,  two 
and  a  half  feet  wide,  to  which  the  cattle  are  tied  or  chained. 
The  stalls  are  double,  allowing  two  animals,  if  neat  stock,  in 
each.  They  are  tied  at  the  sides  next  the  partitions,  to  prevent 


140 


The  House. 


injury  to  each  other.  On  the  hill-side  are  three  windows  in 
the  upper  part  of  the  wall,  to  admit  light  and  ventilation, 
either  glazed  or  grated,  as  may  be  necessary. 

The  advantages  of  a  side-hill  barn  are,  the  warmth  of  its 
stables  in  winter  and  their  coolness  in  summer ;  storage  for 
roots,  if  required ;  much  additional  room  under  the  same  roof, 
but  not,  we  think,  at  diminished  expense ;  and  greater  com¬ 
pactness  of  storage  than  in  one  on  the  common  plan. 

But  it  is  essential  to  the  comfort  and  convenience  of  the 
side-hill  barn  that  it  be  well  embanked  with  earth,  so  that  the 
falling  water  may  freely  pass  away  from  the  walls ;  and  that 
the  stables  and  yards  be  well  drained.  Without  these  pre¬ 
cautions,  such  barns  are  little  better  than  nuisances,  the  rains 
and  melting  snows  flooding  everything  beneath  the  building, 
and  in  the  yards  and  sheds  below. 

There  should  he  a  flight  of  stairs  (not  represented  in  the 
plan)  from  the  underground  floor  to  that  above. 


SnELTER  Cheaper  than  Fodder. — An  improvement  on  our 
present  practice  of  shelter,  and  care  of  our  animals,  would  be  an 
equivalent  to  an  actual  shortening  of  winter.  It  can  hardlybe 
questioned  that  exposure  of  cattle  to  extreme  cold  injures  their 
health,  and  thus  interferes  with  the  owner’s  profit.  Chemical 
physiology  teaches  us  that  warmth  is  equivalent  to  a  certain 
portion 'of  food,  and  that  an  animal  exposed  to  more  cold  will 
eat  more,  and  one  better  housed  and  warmer  kept  will  eat  less. 
To  keep  an  animal  comfortable,  therefore,  is  to  save  food ;  and 
this  alone  is  a  sufficient  inducement  to  provide  that  comfort  to 
the  full  extent.* — Maine  Agricultural  Report. 


- Every  animal  should  have  its  own  particular  stall  in  the 

stable,  and  should  be  allowed  in  no  other. 


*  It  is  asserted,  on  good  authority,  that  exposed  animals  'will  consume  a 
third  more  food,  and  come  out  in  the  spring  in  worse  condition. 


141 


Barns,  Etc. 


vii.— stables. 


The  subject  of  stables — their  construction,  arrangement  of 
accommodations,  etc. — is  one  to  which  a  volume  might  profit¬ 
ably  be  devoted  ;  but  our  present  object  is  merely  to  furnish  a 


Fig.  103. 


Fig.  104. 


few  designs  adapted  to  execution  in  connection  with  country 
houses  and  villas,  and  to  show  how  they  may  be  planned,  as 


Fig.  105. 


Plah. 


142 


The  House. 


in  fig.  103,  for  one  horse  and  carriage;  in  fig.  104,  for  one 
horse  and  two  vehicles  ;  or,  as  in  fig.  105,  with  which  we  give 
an  elevation  (fig.  106),  for  two  horses  and  three  vehicles. 


rig.  106. 


Constructed  of  wood  in  a  proper  manner,  fig.  103  will  cost 
$125  ;  fig.  104,  $185  ;  and  fig.  105,  $275.  Built  of  brick,  they 
will  generally  cost  a  little  over  a  third  more. 


Elevators  in  Barns. — In  large  barns  the  pitching  up  of  the 
hay  into  the  upper  part  of  the  bays  is  a  very  laborious  process 
and  requires  considerable  time.  In  such  cases  an  elevator ,  like 
that  of  the  best  threshing  machine,  to  be  worked  by  the  two 
horses  removed  from  the  loaded  wagon  of  hay,  may  be  profit¬ 
ably  employed,  greatly  lessening  the  labor  and  quickening  the 
operation.  The  same  elevator  would  be  used  in  carrying 
threshed  straw  from  the  machine  to  the  bays.  The  simplest 
and  best  elevator  for  this  purpose  is  made  of  a  light,  inclined 
board  platform,  four  feet  wide,  on  each  side  of  which  a  rope  or 
endless  chain  runs,  connected  by  cross-bars,  a  foot  or  two  apart, 
which  slide  over  the  upper  surface  of  this  platform,  and  sweep 
the  hay  upward  as  fast  as  pitched  upon  it. 


143 


Bakns,  Etc. 

Till.— AN  OCTAGON  POULTRY  HOUSE. 

This  design  is  selected  from  Bement’s  “  Poulterer’s  Compan¬ 
ion.”  It  has  been  executed,  we  believe,  near  Factoryville, 
Staten  Island.  It  is  ten  feet  in  diameter  and  six  feet  and  a 
half  high.  The  sills  are  4  by  4,  and  the  pistes  3  by  4  joists, 
halved  and  nailed  at  the  joints.  It  is  sided  with  inch  and  a 
quarter  spruce  plank,  tongued  and  grooved.  No  upright  tim¬ 
bers  are  used.  The  floor  and  roofing  are  of  the  same  kind  of 


Pig.  107. 


plank.  To  guard  against  leakage  by  shrinking,  the  joints  may 
be  battened  with  lath  or  strips  of  thin  boards.  An  eight-square 
frame  supports  the  top  of  the  rafters,  leaving  an  opening  oi 
ten  inches  in  diameter,  on  which  is  placed  an  octagon  chimney 
for  a  ventilator,  which  makes  a  very  pretty  finish.  The  piers 
should  be  either  cedar,  chestnut,  or  locust,  two  feet  high,  and 
set  on  fiat  stones. 


144 


The  House. 


The  letter  D  designates  the  door ;  W,  W,  windows ;  L,  lat¬ 
ticed  window  to  admit  air,  with  a  shutter  to  exclude  it,  when 
Fig.  108.  necessary ;  E,  entrance  for  the 

fowls,  with  a  sliding  door ;  P, 
platform  for  the  fowls  to 
alight  on  when  going  in  ;  R,  R, 
roosts  placed  spirally,  one  end 
attached  to  a  post  near  the 
center  of  the  room,  and  the 
other  end  to  the  wall ;  the 
first,  or  lowermost  one,  two 
feet  from  the  floor,  and  the 
others  18  inches  apart,  and 
rising  gradually  to  the  top,  six 
feet  from  the  floor.  These 
roosts  will  accommodate  40  ordinary-sized  fowls.  F,  F,  is  a 
board  floor,  on  an  angle  of  about  45  degrees,  to  catch  and  carry 
down  the  droppings  of  the  fowls.  This  arrangement  renders  it 
much  more  convenient  in  cleaning  out  the  manure,  which 
should  he  frequently  done. 

The  space,  beneath  this  floor  is  appropriated  to  nests,  12  in 
number,  15  inches  wide,  18  inches  deep,  and  18  inches  high. 
In  order  to  give  an  appearance  of  secrecy,  which  it  is  well 
known  the  hen  is  so  partial  to,  the  front  is  latticed  with  strips 
of  lath.  By  this  arrangement  a  free  circulation  of  air  is  ad¬ 
mitted,  which  adds  much  to  the  comfort  of  the  hens  while 
sitting. 

The  object  of  placing  this  house  on  piles  is  to  prevent  the 
encroachments  of  rats,  mice,  skunks,  etc.,  and  is  a  good  method, 
as  rats  are  very  annoying,  especially  where  they  have  a  good 
harbor  under  the  house,  often  destroying  the  eggs  and  killing 
the  young  chickens. 


Two  Erkohs. — It  is  an  error  to  build  a  house  upon  a  side- 
hill  with  an  “underground  kitchen;”  but  it  is  a  greater  error 
to  build  a  barn  without  such  a  room  nnon  the  down-hill  side, 


145 


Barns,  Etc. 

and  if  possible  haring  a  southern  exposure.  In  this  room  all 
the  horned  cattle  should  he  stabled,  having  a  yard  to  them¬ 
selves  entirely  separate  from  auy  other  stock.  The  horse  stable 
should  always  be  on  the  ground  floor,  with  an  entrance  from  a 
separate  yard. 

IX. — AN  OCTAGON  PIGGERY. 

The  accompanying  design  shows  the  plan  of  an  economically 
constructed  and  convenient  piggery.  It  may,  of  course,  be 
enlarged  to  any  desired  extent  without  any  change  of  form  or 


Fig.  109. 


arrangement.  The  elevation  may  be  similar  to  that  of  the 
poultry-house  (fig.  107),  and  should  have  sufficient  height  to 
furnish  a  good  upper  room  for  storing  corn,  etc.,  for  the  swine. 

X.— AN  ASHERY  AND  SMOKE-HOUSE. 

An  ashery  and  smoke-house  combined  may  be  economically 
built  as  represented  in  our  design.  The  first  story,  or  ash-pit, 
should  be  built  of  stone  or  hard  brick,  and  be  provided  with 
an  iron  door.  The  walls  need  not  be  more  than  from  six  to 
aight  feet  in  height.  The  ceiling  should  be  lathed  and  plastered, 

7 


146 


The  House 


The  smoke-house  story  above  may  be  of  wood.  It  is  entered 
in  the  rear  on  a  level  with  the  ground.  Four  tin  tubes,  intro¬ 
duced  through  the  floor,  admit  the  smoke  from  the  ash-room 
below,  where  the  fire  is  kindled.  This  arrangement  precludes 
all  danger  from  fire,  secures  the  meat  against  being  overheated 


Fig.  no. 


An  Abhery  and  Smoke-House. 


in  smoking,  and  gives  a  clean  and  convenient  smoke-room.  It 
may  be  ventilated  either  through  the  gable  or  the  roof. 

A  side-hill  situation  is  by  no  means  essential  in  this  mode  of 
construction.  Both  stories  may  be  above  ground,  the  smoke' 
house  door  being  reached  by  outside  stairs  or  a  step-ladder. 


147 


JBaens,  Etc. 

XI.— AN  ICE-HOUSE. 

The  first  grand  essential  in  the  construction  of  an  ice-bouse 
is  the  perfect  inclosure  of  the  space  to  be  occupied  by  the  ice 
with  walls  and  floors  which  shall  prove  non-conductors  of 


neat.  The  second  important  point  is  to  secure  perfect  drain* 
age.  These  conditions  attained,  the  rest  is  comparatively  un¬ 
important. 

A  common  and  entirely  effective  mode  of  constructing  an 
ice-house  is  thus  described  : 

The  frame  or  sides  should  be  formed  of  two  ranges  of  up- 


148 


The  House. 


W\ 


right  joists  about  six  by  four  inches;  the  lower  ends  to  be  put 
in  the  ground  without  any  sill ;  the  upper  to  be  morticed  into 
the  timbers  which  are  to  support  the  upper  floor.  The  joists 
in  the  two  ranges  should  be  each  opposite  another.  They 
Fi*.  its.  should  then  be  lined  or  faced  with  rough 
'  U-l  boarding,  which  need  not  be  very  tight. 
These  boards  should  be  nailed  to  those 
edges  of  the  joists  nearest  each  other,  so 
!§H1  that  one  range  of  joists  shall  be  outside 
the  building  and  the  other  inside  the  ice 
room,  as  shown  in  fig.  112.  Cut  out  or 
j  leave  out  a  space  for  a  door  of  suitable 
dimensions  on  the  north  or  west  side, 
higher  than  the  ice  will  come,  and  board 
j  up  the  inner  side  of  this  opening  so  as  to 
form  a  door-casing  on  each  side.  Two 
doors  should  be  attached  to  this  opening 
— one  on  the  inner  side  and  one  on  the 
■  outward,  both  opening  outward.  The 
space  between  these  partitions  should  be 
i  j|l  filled  with  charcoal-dust,  tan,  or  saw-dust, 

whichever  can  be  the  most  readily  obtained. 

The  bottom  of  the  ice  vault  should  be  filled  about  a  foot 
deep  with  small  blocks  of  wood  or  round  stones ;  these  are 
leveled  and  covered  with  wood-shavings,  over  which  a  plank 
floor  to  receive  the  ice  should  be  laid ;  some  spread  straw  a 
foot  thick  over  the  floor,  and  lay  the  ice  on  that.  A  floor 
should  also  be  laid  on  the  beams  above  the  vault,  on  which 
place  several  inches  of  tan  or  saw-dust.  The  roof  should  b« 
perfectly  tight,  and  it  is  usually  best  to  give  it  a  considerable 
pitch.  The  space  between  the  roof  and  the  flooring  beneath 
should  be  ventilated  by  means  of  a  door  or  lattice  window  in 
each  gable.  The  drain  can  be  constructed  in  accordance  with 
the  situation,  the  only  things  requiring  attention  being  to  have 
it  carry  off  all  the  water  settling  at  the  bottom,  and  not  be  so 
open  as  to  allow  the  passage  of  air  into  the  vault. 


liy 


Barns,  Etc. 

Fig.  113  represents  a  section  of  such  an  ice-house.  We  give 
a  perspective  view  of  a  circular  ice-house,  which  is  constructed 
on  the  same  principle.  It  may  advantageously  be  executed  in 


Fig.  118. 


concrete.  Ventilation  is  secured  by  leaving  a  small  aperture 
In  the  peak  of  the  roof,  protected  by  a  hood  or  cap,  as  shown. 

Should  an  underground  house  be  preferred,  the  plan  of  build¬ 
ing  cau  be  the  same  ;  or  a  less  expensive  method  may  be  used. 
A  side-hill  having  a  northern  exposure  affords  a  desirable 
location.  In  such  case  one  end  of  the  house  is  usually  above 
ground.  The  boards  can  he  of  the  cheapest  description,  and 
the  space  or  air-chamber  filled  in  with  straw ;  the  ground 
forming  the  support  to  the  whole.  Ho  less  attention  should 
be  paid  to  draining  than  in  the  other  case ;  and  when  in  use, 
the  space  between  the  ice  and  the  peak  of  the  roof  should  b« 
filled  with  straw. 


150 


The  House. 


XII.— an  APIARY. 

Fig.  114  represents  a  design  for  a  rustic  apiary  or  bee-house, 
■which  strikes  us  as  being  far  more  beautiful  and  appropriate 
than  the  elaborately  ornamented  temple  or  palace-like  struc¬ 
tures  we  sometimes  see  The  mode  of  its  construction  is  readily 

Fig.  114. 


Perspective  Yiew. 


seen.  It  may,  of  course,  be  made  of  any  desirable  size  on  the 
same  plan.  [For  directions  in  reference  to  the  construction  of 
hives,  the  best  site  for  an  apiary,  and  instructions  in  bee-keep¬ 
ing,  see  “  The  Barn-Yard.”*] 

*  The  Barn-Yard :  a  Manual  of  Horse,  Cattle,  and  Sheep  Husbandry; 
or,  How  to  Breed,  Rear,  and  Use  all  the  Common  Domestic  Animals.  Em¬ 
bracing  Descriptions  of  the  various  Breeds  of  HorBes,  Cattle,  Sheep,  Swine, 
Poultry,  etc.;  the  “Points”  or  Characteristics  by  which  to  Judge  Animals; 
Feeding  and  General  Management  of  Stock  ;  How  to  Improve  Breeds;  How 
to  Cure  Sick  Animals,  etc.  With  a  Chapter  on  Bees.  Handsomely  illustrated. 
Now  published  with  Garden  and  Farm.  $1.75. 

How  many  expensive,  not  to  say  fatal,  errors  in  the  buying,  selling,  breed¬ 
ing,  and  management  of  farm-stock  might  be  avoided  by  means  of  the  practi¬ 
cal  information  and  plain  common-sense  advice  condensed  into  this  compre¬ 
hensive  and  thorough  little  Hand  book! 


Barns.  Etc . 


151 


XIII. — A  PLAY-HOUSE. 

Build  your  children  a  play-house  of  some  sort.  A  very  rude 
affair  will  please  them,  but  something  similar  to  the  accompa- 

Fig.  115. 


Perspective  View. 


Dying  design  will  please  you  too,  and  be  a  highly  ornamental 
feature  in  your  grounds.  The  construction  is  simple,  hut  the 
effect  is  verv  fine. 


Materials  for  Rustic  Structures. — In  order  to  succeed 
in  constructing  rustic  work,  the  first  thing  is  to  procure  the 
materials.  All  such  objects  as  may  be  exposed  to  the  weather 
should  be  of  the  most  durable  wood,  of  which  red  cedar  is  best. 
For  certain  purposes,  white  oak  will  answer  well,  but  as  it  is 
essential  to  have  the  bark  remain  on,  the  wood  should  be  cut 
at  a  time  of  year  when  this  will  not  peel  or  separate.  If  cut 
toward  the  close  of  summer,  the  wood  will  last  about  twice  as 
long  as  when  cut  in  winter  or  spring.  A  horse-load  or  two 
of  boughs  or  branches  of  trees,  of  which  a  goodly  portion  may 
be  curved  and  twisted,  from  one  to  six  inches  in  diameter, 
will  constitute  the  materials  for  a  good  beginning. — J.  J. 
Thomas. 


152 


'The  House. 

XIV— A  RUSTIC  GARDEN  HOUSE. 

A  rustic  structure,  like  the  one  here  represented,  when  cov¬ 
ered  with  vines  and  climbing  shrubs,  forms  one  of  the  most 

Fig.  116. 


Peespeotivb  Vnrw. 


beautiful  and  appropriate  objects  that  a  lawn  or  flower  garden 
can  boast.  Furnished  with  rustic  seats,  it  becomes  an  attract¬ 
ive  summer  resort  in  which  to  work  or  read. 


Church  and  School-House. 


153 


IX. 

THE  CHURCH  AND  THE  SCHOOL-HOUSE. 


On  other  shores,  above  their  moldertug  towns, 

In  sullen  pomp  the  tall  cathedral  frowns — 

Pride  In  Its  aisles  and  paupers  at  the  door, 

Which  feeds  the  beggars  which  it  fleeced  of  yore. 
Simple  and  frail,  our  lowly  temples  throw 
Their  slender  shadows  on  the  paths  below.—  Hdmes. 
In  a  green  lane  that  from  the  village  street 
Diverges,  stands  the  school-house. — Street 


L— A  VILLAGE  CHURCH. 


HE  accompanying  designs  (figs. 
117,  118,  119)  represent  a  coun¬ 
try  church,  and,  as  has  been  more 
or  less  the  case  with  all  our  de¬ 
signs,  are  intended  to  show  how 
easy  it  is,  without  costly  materi¬ 
als,  and  without  expensive  de¬ 
tails,  but  with  due  regard  to  pro¬ 
portion,  symmetry,  and  harmony 
of  style,  to  produce  a  structure 
at  once  pleasing,  chaste,  and 
adapted  to  its  purposes.  The 
piles  of  brick  work  and  the 
wooden  boxes  which  so  often 
pass  for  churches  among  us,  but 
are,  to  say  the  least,  a  reproach 
to  our  cultivated  society,  bear 
witness,  on  every  hand,  to  the 
frequency  with  which  the  first  principles  of  architecture  are 


SI*.  117.  —A  Village  Chuboh— Perspective  View 


Church  and  School  - House. 


355 


sinned  against  through  ignorance.  It  is  this  ignorance  that  we 
hope  to  aid  in  dissipating,  botli  by  precept  and  example. 

The  height  of  this  Fig.  its. 

church  from  the  floor  to 
the  eaves  is  17  feet,  and 
the  whole  height  of  the 
ceiling  about  22  feet.  It 
is  planned  for  a  gallery 
across  the  front  merely. 

It  will  seat  400  people. 

The  same  ground  plan 
may  of  course  be  so  ex¬ 
ecuted  as  to  give  consid¬ 
erably  greater  accommo¬ 
dations.  By  making  the 
eeiling  higher,  for  in¬ 
stance,  side  galleries  may 
be  introduced.  If  re¬ 
quired,  a  lecture-room 
and  Sunday-schoolroom 
may  be  added  on  the 
rear ;  but  if  the  loca¬ 
tion  be  suitable,  these  Grodnd  Flook  Plan. 

accommodations  may  be  secured  at  less  cost  in  a  basement. 

The  walls  are  to  be  built  of  brick,  the  exterior  projections 
being  faced  with  front  brick, 
costing  about  $10  per  thou¬ 
sand.  The  window  sills,  door 
sills,  caps,  and  steps  are  to 
be  of  cut  stone.  The  roof, 
cornices,  and  cupola  are  to 
be  of  wood.  The  main  roof 

is  to  be  covered  with  slate,  Gallery  Floor  Plan. 

and  the  tower  roof  and  cupola  to  be  tinned.  Finished  inside 
in  a  liberal  manner,  the  cost  is  estimated  at  about  $9,800  ;  or 
finished  quite  plainly,  it  can  be  built  for  less  than  $9, 000- 


Fig.  119. 


156 


The  House. 


II.— A  VILLAGE  SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

This  design  represents  a  single  two-story  sclicol-house  suit¬ 
able  for  a  small  village  or  other  country  place.  The  first  and 
second  stories  are  almost  entirely  alike  in  their  arrangements. 
Each  room  will  accommodate  fifty-two  pupils,  and  has  recita¬ 
tion  benches  in  front  of  the  teacher’s  desk.  The  easy  ingress 
and  egress  afforded  by  the  broad  halls  and  stairs  ;  the  large  sep  ■ 


Fig.  120. 


arate  wardrobes  for  the  two  sexes ;  the  convenient  position  of 
the  teacher’s  desk  with  its  large  wall-space  for  the  blackboard, 
are  sufficiently  apparent  upon  the  plan.  A  recitation-room 
and  a  room  for  apparatus  may  be  added  on  the  rear,  if  desired, 
without  changing  the  rest  of  the  plan. 

The  walls  are  of  brick,  eight  inches  thick,  strengthened  by 
pilasters  (4X20  inches),  which  serve  both  for  use  and  orna- 


Chtjkch  and  School-House.  157 


ment,  as  may  be  seen  by  examining  tbe  plan  and  elevations. 
The  inside  of  tbe  walls  is  furred  off  as  usual.  The  front  part, 
under  the  hall  and  clothes-closets,  is  intended  to  be  dug  out  for 
a  coal  and  furnace  cellar.  A  portable  furnace,  costing  from 
$75  to  $100,  will  heat  tbe  whole  house,  and  is  to  be  preferred 
to  stoves.  In  addition  to  the  opposite  windows,  which  facili¬ 
tate  ventilation  during  the  warm  season,  ventilating  shafts, 


terminating  in  a  box  on  the  roof,  are  indicated  in  the  rear 
wall.  The  inside  walls  are  to  have  two  coats  of  plaster,  and 
he  wainscoted  up  to  the  windows  all  around.  The  roof  may 
he  covered  with  slate  or  shingles,  as  most  convenient.  Tho 
bell  cupola,  very  appropriately  a  prominent  ornamental  and 
useful  feature  in  school  architecture,  may  he  constructed  of 
wood,  as  shown.  Access  to  it  may  be  had  from  the  second- 
floor  hall,  by  means  of  a  step-ladder.  The  school-room  fur¬ 
niture  consists  of  double  desks,  about  three  and  a  half  feet 
long,  with  stools. 


158 


The  House. 


All  school-houses  should,  if  possible,  be  constructed  of  solid 
materials — brick  or  stone — in  so  substantial  a  manner  as  to 
outlast  all  the  other  buildings  in  the  town  or  village,  and  serve 
for  the  accommodation  of  many  generations  of  children,  whose 


Plan. 


prominent  destructiveness  they  are  better  calculated  to  resist 
than  any  wooden  building  can  be. 

The  estimated  cost  of  this  school-house  is  within  $1,700. 


APPENDIX 


A. 

HOW  TO  BUILD  WITH  ROUGH  STONE. 

Let  the  quarrymen  split  it  off  just  as  the  veins  of  the  stone  make  it  most 
easily  worked.  Select  such  pieces  as,  from  their  length  and  even  quality, 
eeem  adapted  for  sills  and  lintels,  and  use  the  remainder  just  in  the  shape  it 
naturally  comes  upon  your  ground  from  the  quarry.  In  building  jour  walls, 
lay  the  stone  in  its  exact  bed  as  it  lay  in  the  quarry,  and  here  and  there  let 
long  pieces  be  introduced,  the  length  of  the  thickness  of  your  walls;  these, 
lying  across,  would  serve  as  bonders  to  the  walls,  and  will  materially  strengthen 
the  work.  A  wall  built  in  this  manner,  in  irregular  courses,  looks  remarkably 
well  for  country  buildings,  and  it  is  the  method  in  which  the  time-honored 
rural  churches  of  England  have  been  built,  than  which  more  simply  beautiful 
or  more  durable  erections  can  not  be  found. — Gf.rvase  Wheeleb. 


B. 

HOLLOW  BRICK  WALLS. 
Fig.  123. 


Simple  Mode  op  Building  a  Hollow  Wall. 


Fig.  123  shows  a  very  simple  and  cheap  mode  of  building  a  hollow  wall 
twelve  inches  wide,  which  answers  very  well  for  low  additions,  or  walls  in¬ 
tended  to  bear  but  little  weight.  An  addition  of  another  brick  to  the  outside 
would  make  a  good  sixteen-inch  wall.  The  tie-bricks  alternate  in  the  courses; 
that  is,  the  brick  a  is  covered  in  the  next  course  with  the  brick  b  (shown  by 
the  dotted  lines) ;  c  by  d,  and  so  on  through  the  whole.— Downing. 


160 


Appendix. 

0. 

UN BURNT  BRICK  FOR  BUILDING. 


The  following  particulars  are  compiled  from  the  Report  made  by  Mr.  Eli*' 
worth  while  Commissioner  of  Patents : 

Almost  every  kind  of  clay  will  answer ;  it  is  tempered  by  treading  it  with 
cattle,  and  cut  straw  is  added,  at  the  rate  of  two  bundles  of  straw  to  clay 
enough  for  one  hundred  bricks.  It  is  then  ready  for  molding.  It  is  found 
that  the  most  economical  size  for  the  bricks  for  building  such  cottages  is  the 
following,  viz.,  one  foot  long,  six  inches  wide,  and  four  inches  thick. 

The  cellar  or  foundation  must  be  formed  of  stone  or  burnt  brick. 

In  damp  soils,  the  dampness  should  be  prevented  from  rising  from  the  soil 
into  the  unburnt  wall  by  laying  one  course  of  slate,  or  of  brick,  laid  in  cement 
or  hydraulic  mortar,  at  the  top  of  the  foundation. 

The  walls  of  the  cottage  are  laid  up  one  foot  in  thickness  of  the  unburnt 
brick.  This  thickness  is  exactly  the  length  of  the  brick,  or  the  width  of  two 
bricks,  and  the  strongest  wall  is  made  by  laying  the  work  with  alternate 
courses  of  leaders  and  stretchers  ( i .  e.,  one  course  with  the  bricks  laid  across 
the  wall,  the  next  course  side  by  side).  A  weak  mortar  of  lime  and  sand  is 
generally  used  for  lajing  the  bricks,  but  a  good  brick  mortar  is  preferable. 
Where  lime  is  scarce,  a  mortar  composed  of  three  parts  clay,  one  part  sand,  and 
two  parts  wood-ashes,  answers  very  well  as  a  substitute  for  lime  mortar.  The 
division  walls  may  be  six  inches  thick,  just  the  width  of  the  brick  ;  but  when 
the  cottage  has  rooms  wider  than  twelve  feet,  it  is  better  to  make  the  first-story 
partitions  two  bricks  thick.  The  doors  and  window-frames  being  ready  to  in- 
Bert,  the  cottage  is  very  rapidly  built.  These  frames  are  made  of  stout  plank, 
of  the  exact  thickness  of  the  walls,  so  that  the  casing  inside  and  outside  helps 
to  strengthen  the  wall  and  covers  the  joints.  If  lintels  and  sills  of  stone  are 
not  to  be  had,  pieces  of  timber  three  inches  thick,  of  the  same  width  as  the 
wall,  and  a  foot  longer  on  each  side  than  the  opening,  may  be  used  instead. 

The  roof  may  be  of  shingles  or  thatch,  and  it  is  indispensable  in  a  cottage 
of  unburnt  clay  that  it  should  project  two  feet  all  around,  so  as  completely  tc 
guard  the  walls  from  vertical  rains.  The  outside  of  the  wall  is  plastered  with 
good  lime  mortar  mixed  with  hair,  and  then  with  a  second  coat,  pebble- 
dashed,  as  in  rough-cast  walls.  The  inside  of  the  wall  is  plastered  and  white¬ 
washed  in  the  common  way. 

Built  in  the  simple  way  of  the  prairies,  these  cottages  are  erected  for  an  in¬ 
credibly  small  sum,  costing  no  more  than  log  houses,  while  they  are  far  more 
durable  and  agreeable  in  appearance. 

But  we  have  also  seen  highly  ornamental  cottages  built  of  this  material,  the 
bricks  made  entirely  by  the  hands  of  the  owner  or  occupant,  and  the  who'e 
erected  at  a  cost  of  not  more  than  one  half  of  that  paid  for  the  same  cottage 
built  in  an  equally  comfortable  manner  of  wood  or  brick.  When  plastered  or 
rough-cast  on  the  exterior,  this  mode  of  construction  presents  to  the  eye  the 
same  effect  as  an  ordinary  stuccoed  house,  while  it  is  warmer  and  far  less 
costly  in  repairs  than  any  other  cheap  material  is. 


Appendix 


161 


D. 

DE.  BUCHANAN  ON  CELLARS 

While  ]  would  condemn  cellars  and  basements  entirely,  the  common  plan 
of  building  in  their  absence  must  be  condemned  also.  The  house  being  built 
above  the  surface  of  the  earth,  a  space  is  left  between  the  lower  floor  and  the 
ground,  which  is  even  closer  and  darker  than  a  cellar,  and  which  becomes,  on 
a  smaller  scale,  the  source  of  noxious  emanations.  Under-floor  space  should 
be  abolished  as  well  as  cellars  and  basements.  The  plan  that  I  have  adopted 
with  the  most  satisfactory  success,  to  avoid  all  these  evils,  is  the  following: 
Let  the  house  be  built  entirely  above  the  ground  ;  let  the  lower  floor  be  built 
upon  the  surface  of  the  earth,  at  least  as  high  as  the  surrounding  soil.  If  filled 
np  with  any  clean  material  a  few  inches  above  the  surrounding  earth,  it  would 
be  better.  A  proper  foundation  being  prepared,  make  your  first  floor  by  a 
pavement  of  brick,  laid  in  hydraulic  cement  upon  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
Let  the  same  be  extended  into  your  walls,  so  as  to  cut  off  the  walls  of  your 
house  with  water-proof  cement  from  all  communication  with  the  moisture  of 
the  surrounding  earth.  Upon  this  foundation  build  according  to  your  fancy. 
Your  lower  floor  will  be  perfectly  dry — impenetrable  to  moisture  and  to  ver¬ 
min  ;  not  a  single  animal  can  get  a  lodgment  in  your  lower  story.  By  adopt¬ 
ing  this  plan,  your  house  will  be  dry  and  cleanly;  the  atmosphere  of  your 
ground-floor  will  be  fresh  and  pure ;  you  will  be  entirely  relieved  from  that 
steady  drain  upon  life  which  is  produced  by  basements  and  cellars ;  and  if 
you  appropriate  the  ground-floor  to  purposes  of  store-rooms,  kitchens,  etc.,  you 
will  find  that  the  dry  apartments  thus  constructed  are  infinitely  superior  to  the 
old  basements  and  cellars.  And  if  you  place  your  sitting  and  sleeping  rooms 
on  the  second  and  third  floors,  you  will  be  as  thoroughly  exempt  from  local 
miasma  as  architecture  can  make  you.— Db.  Buchanan. 

E. 

EECIPES  FOE  PAINTS,  WASHES,  STUCCO,  ETC. 

1.  Paints  for  Outside  Work.— The  following  recipes  for  mixing  several  de. 
sirable  colors  are  from  Wheeler’s  “  Homes  for  the  People:” 

1.  A  cool  gray,  similar  to  what  would  be  the  tint  of  unpainted  timber  after 
a  few  years,  may  be  obtained  as  follows : 

Indian  red,  half  a  pound ; 

Lampblack,  three  ounces ; 

Eaw  umber,  half  a  pound ; 

White  lead,  one  hundred  pounds. 

This  color  will  be  changed  by  the  addition  of  sand,  which  in  all  cases  is 
recommended,  in  a  proportion  of  about  one  quart  to  every  one  hundred  pounds 
of  mixed  color.  Tlje  finest  and  whitest  sand  that  the  neighborhood  affords 
should  be  used,  and  as  its  hue  differs,  so  will  the  tint  of  the  paint  be  changed 


162 


Appendix. 


This  color,  with  one  third  less  white,  is  very  suitable  for  roofs,  and  is  a  cool, 
unreflecting  gray  tint  of  great  softness  and  beauty. 

2.  A  soft,  pleasant  tint,  like  that  of  coffee  greatly  diluted  with  milk,  is  often¬ 
times  well  adapted  to  a  building,  particularly  in  regions  where  red  sandstone 
#r  other  similar  objects,  with  such  local  coloring,  give  a  brown  hue  to  portions 
of  the  landscape. 

It  may  be  mixed  as  follows : 

Yellow  ochre,  five  pounds; 

Burnt  umber,  half  a  pound  ; 

Indian  red,  quarter  of  a  pound; 

Chrome  yellow,  No.  1,  half  a  pound,  with  one  hundred  pounds  of 
white  lead. 

The  key-notes  in  this  color  are  the  Indian  red  and  the  chrome  yellow,  and 
the  tone  may  be  heightened  or  lowered  by  more  or  less  of  either,  as  individual 
taste  may  prefer. 

3.  A  still  more  delicate  tint,  resembling  the  pure  color  of  the  Caen  stone,  and 
well  adapted  for  a  large  building  with  many  beaks  of  outlines,  may  be  mixed 
thus: 

Yellow  ochre,  two  pounds ; 

Vandyke  brown,  quarter  of  a  pound ; 

Indian  red,  quarter  of  a  pound. 

Chrome  yellow, No.  1,  halfapoundto  every  one  hundred  pounds  of  lead. 
The  following  cheap  and  excellent  paint  for  cottages  is  recommended  by 
Downing.  It  forms  a  hard  surface,  and  is  far  more  durable  than  common 
paint.  It  will  be  found  preferable  to  common  paint  for  picturesque  country 
houses  of  all  kinds. 

Take  freshly-burned  unslaked  lime  and  reduce  it  to  powder.  To  one  peck 
or  one  bushel  of  this  add  the  same  quantity  of  tine  white  sand  or  fine  coal  ashes, 
and  twice  as  much  fresh  wood  ashes,  all  these  being  sifted  through  a  fine  sieve. 
They  should  then  be  thoroughly  mixed  together  while  dry.  Afterward  mix 
them  with  as  much  common  linseed  oil  as  will  make  the  whole  thin  enough  to 
work  freely  with  a  painter’s  brush. 

This  will  make  a  paint  of  a  light  gray  stone  color,  nearly  white. 

To  make  it  fawn  or  drab,  add  yellow  ochre  and  Indian  red  ;  if  drab  is  de¬ 
sired,  add  burnt  umber,  Indian  red,  and  a  little  black ;  if  dark  stone  color,  add 
lampblack ;  or  if  brown  stone,  then  add  Spanish  brown.  All  these  colors 
should  of  course  be  first  mixed  in  oil  and  then  added. 

This  paint  is  very  much  cheaper  than  common  oil  paint.  It  is  equally  well 
suited  to  wood,  brick,  or  stone.  It  is  better  to  apply  it  in  two  coats;  the  first 
thin,  the  second  thick. 

2.  A  Cheap  Wash. — For  the  outside  of  wooden  cottages,  barns,  out-buiid- 
Ings,  fences,  etc.,  where  economy  must  be  consulted,  the  following  wash  is 
"ecommended : 

Take  a  clean  barrel  that  will  hold  water.  Put  into  it  half  a  bushel  of  quick- 


V 


Appendix. 


163 


lime,  and  slake  it  by  pouring  over  it  boiling  water  sufficient  to  cover  it  four  or 
five  inches  deep,  and  stirring  it  until  slaked.  When  quite  slaked  dissolve  il 
in  water,  and  add  two  pounds  of  sulphate  of  zinc  and  one  of  common  salt, 
which  may  be  had  at  any  of  the  druggists,  and  which  in  a  few  days  will  cause 
the  whitewash  to  harden  on  the  woodwork.  Add  sufficient  water  to  bring  it 
to  the  consistency  of  thick  whitewash. 

To  make  the  above  wash  of  a  pleasant  cream  color,  add  three  pounds  of 
yellow  ochre. 

For  fawn  color,  add  four  pounds  of  umber,  one  pound  of  Indian  red,  and 
one  pound  of  lampblack. 

For  gray  or  stone  color,  add  four  pounds  of  raw  umber  and  two  pounds  of 
lampblack. 

The  color  may  be  put  on  with  a  common  whitewash  brush,  and  will  be  found 
much  more  durable  than  common  whitewash. — Horticulturist. 

For  a  wash  for  barns  the  Horticulturist  also  gives  this : 

Hydraulic  cement,  one  peck ;  freshly  slaked  lime,  one  peck ;  yellow  ochre 
(in  powder),  four  pounds ;  burnt  umber,  four  pounds ;  the  whole  to  be  “  dis¬ 
solved”  in  hot  water,  and  applied  with  a  brush. 


8.  Staining  Interior  Wood  Work. — One  of  the  simplest  and  best  modes  of 
staining  pine  or  other  soft  wood  is  the  following  as  given  by  Downing: 

First  prepare  the  wood  by  washing  it  with  a  solution  of  sulphuric  acid, 
made  by  mixing  it  in  the  proportion  of  one  ounce  of  sulphuric  acid  to  a  pin! 
of  warm  water.  It  should  be  mixed  when  wanted  and  put  on  while  warm, 
washing  it  evenly  over  every  part  to  be  stained. 

Second,  stain  the  wood  so  prepared  by  rubbing  it  lightly  with  tobacco  stain, 
using  a  piece  of  flannel  or  sponge  for  this  purpose.  By  merely  coating  it 
evenly  in  this  way  the  natur  d  grain  of  the  wood  will  assume  a  dark  tone,  so 
as  to  resemble  black  walnut  or  oak  ;  the  effect  of  certain  parts  may  be  height¬ 
ened  by  a  little  skill  in  mottling  or  slightly  graining  the  wood,  by  repeating 
the  coat  and  allowing  it  to  settle  in  places. 

When  the  stained  wood  is  entirely  dry,  brush  it  over,  in  order  to  preserve  it, 
with  the  following  mixture:  half  a  pound  of  beeswax,  half  a  pint  of  linseed 
oil,  and  one  pint  of  boiled  linseed  oil. 

It  may,  if  desired,  afterward  be  varnished  and  polished.  To  make  the  above 
tobacco  stain,  take  six  pounds  of  common  shag  or  “ negro  head”  tobacco;  boil 
it  in  as  many  quarts  of  water  as  will  cover  ihe  tobacco,  letting  it  simmer  away 
slowly  till  it  is  of  the  consistence  of  syrup.  Strain  it,  and  it  is  ready  for  use. 

We  may  add,  that  when  it  is  desired  to  give  the  wood  the  tone  of  light  oak  or 
maple,  the  solution  of  sulphuric  acid  should  be  much  weaker,  and  only  a  light 
coat  of  the  stain  should  be  used.  Where  a  dark  tone  is  preferred,  two  coals 
of  the  stain  should  be  put  on. 

4.  Stucco  and  Stuccoing. — Take  stone  lime  fresh  from  the  kiln  and  of  the 
lest  quality,  such  as  is  known  to  make  a  strong  and  durt  ble  mortar  (like  the 
Thomaston  lime).  Slake  it  by  sprinkling  or  pouring  over  it  just  water  enough 


164 


Appendix 


to  leave  it  when  slaked  in  the  condition  of  a  fine  dry  powder ,  and  not  a  paste. 
Set  up  a  quarter-inch  wire  screen  at  an  inclined  plane,  and  throw  this  powder 
against  it.  What  passes  through  is  fit  for  use.  That  which  remains  behind 
contains  the  core,  which  would  spoil  the  stucco,  and  must  be  rejected. 

Having  obtained  the  sharpest  sand  to  be  had,  and  having  washed  it,  so  that 
not  a  particle  of  the  mud  and  dirt  (which  destroy  the  tenacity  of  most  stuccoes) 
remains,  and  screened  it  to  give  some  uniformity  to  the  size,  mix  it  with  the 
lime  in  powder,  in  the  proportion  of  two  parts  sand  to  one  part  lime.  This  is 
the  best  proportion  for  lime  stucco.  More  lime  would  make  a  stronger  stucco, 
but  one  by  no  means  so  hard— and  hardness  and  tenacity  are  both  needed. 

The  mortar  must  now  be  made  by  adding  water,  and  working  it  thoroughly. 
On  the  tempering  of  the  mortar  greatly  depends  its  tenacity. 

The  wall  to  be  stuccoed  should  be  first  prepared  by  clearing  off  all  loose  dirt, 
mortar,  etc.,  with  a  stiff  broom.  Then  apply  the  mortar  in  two  coats ;  the  flr.-t 
a  rough  coat,  to  cover  the  inequalities  of  the  wall,  the  second  as  a  finishing  coat. 
The  latter,  however,  should  be  put  on  before  the  former  is  dry,  and  as  soon, 
indeed,  as  the  first  coat  is  sufficiently  Arm  to  receive  it;  the  whole  should  then 
be  well  floated,  troweled,  and  marked  off;  and  if  it  is  to  be  colored  in  water- 
color,  the  wash  should  be  applied,  so  as  to  set  with  the  stucco.— Downing. 

5.  Rough-Cast. — The  mode  of  putting  on  rough-east  is  as  follows: 

The  surface  of  the  wall  being  brushed  off  clean,  lay  on  a  coat  of  good  lime 
and  hair  mortar.  Allow  this  to  dry,  and  then  lay  on  another  coat  as  evenly  and 
smoothly  as  possible  without  floating.  As  soon  as  two  or  three  years  of  the 
second  coat  are  finished,  have  ready  a  pail  of  rough-cast,  and  splash  or  throw  it 
on  the  wall.  This  is  usually  done  by  another  workman,  who  holds  the  trowel 
wiih  which  he  throws  on  the  rough-cast  in  one  hand,  and  a  whitewash  brush 
dipped  constantly  in  the  pail  in  the  other,  which  follows  the  trowel  until  the 
whole  is  smooth  and  evenly  colored. 

The  rough-cast  itself  is  made  of  sharp  sand,  washed  clean,  screened,  and 
mixed  in  a  large  tub  with  pure,  newly  slaked  lime  and  water,  till  the  whole  is 
in  a  semi-fluid  state.  A  little  yellow  ochre  mixed  in  the  rough-cast  gives  the 
whole  a  slightly  fawn-colored  shade,  more  agreeable  to  the  eye  than  white. — 
Downing. 


F. 

ROOKING. 

The  following  brief  essay  on  roofing  has  been  kindly  furnished  by  a  practi¬ 
cal  builder,  Mr.  Richardson,  who  has  had  extensive  experience  in  this  special 
department,  in  various  parts  of  the  United  S'ates.  His  hints  are  valuable. 

The  most  important  point  to  be  observed  in  order  to  have  a  tight  roof  is,  to 
use  well-seasoned  sheath  in  .r.  If  it  is  tongued  and  grooved,  so  much  the  bet* 
ter.  Have  it  well  nailed.  The  best  material  to  cover  your  roof  with  is  s'ate, 
if  it  is  a  steep  roof.  In  the  northern  section  of  the  United  States  and  the  Can¬ 
adas,  it  is  well  to  put  a  layer  of  felt  on  the  sheathing  before  slating,  as  it  will 


Appendix 


165 


prevent  the  snow  in  winter  and  the  rain  in  summer  from  driving  under  the 
slates.  In  the  Middle  States  metallic  roofing  stands  well ;  but  in  the  extreme 
South  and  North  the  expansion  and  contraction  are  so  great,  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  have  a  tight  roof,  and  it  is  only  by  giving  them  a  coat  of  paint 
every  other  year  that  they  answer  at  all.  Copper,  zinc,  galvanized  iron,  and 
tin  are  the  metals  required  for  roofing  purposes.  Within  a  year  or  two,  corru¬ 
gated  galvanized  iron  has  been  introduced  on  many  of  the  government  build¬ 
ings,  and  has  generally  proved  satisfactory.  Its  great  cost  will,  however,  ex¬ 
clude  its  extensive  use  among  private  buildings,  as  slate  is  better  and  costs 
less.  One  of  the  many  improvements  in  the  construction  of  buildings,  at  the 
present  day,  is  the  adaptation  of  the  flat  roof  in  place  of  the  old-fashioned  pitch 
roof  The  many  advantages  gained  in  the  number  of  better  ventilated  rooms, 
instead  of  the  little,  hot  chambers  of  the  old  style,  are  so  obvious,  that  no 
other  argument  would  seem  to  be  necessary  to  insure  its  universal  adaptation, 
to  say  nothing  of  its  great  advantage  in  case  of  Are  in  the  immediate  neighbor¬ 
hood,  or  its  use  in  a  crowded  city. 

Perhaps  one  word  in  regard  to  the  many  different  “patent  roofing”  materials 
now  before  the  public  may  be  of  service.  We  have  paid  some  attention  to  the 
merit  claimed  for  each,  and  can  safely  recommend  one,  and  that  is  “Warren’s 
Improved  Fire  and  Water-Proof  Hoofing.”  This  article  has  stood  the  test  of 
time,  and  is  considered  by  many  of  the  best  architects  and  builders  a  better 
article  for  flat  roofing  than  any  metal.  All  insurance  companies  insure  build¬ 
ings  covered  with  this  roofing  at  the  same  rate  as  slate. 

We  have  recently  had  an  opportunity  to  examine  some  extensive  warehouses 
in  New  Orleans,  which  have  been  covered  with  the  roofing  some  five  years, 
and  it  is  apparently  as  good  as  the  day  it  was  put  on.  The  fact  that  it  has  been 
extensively  used  in  the  North  and  the  Canadas,  for  many  years,  adds  greatly 
to  our  confidence  in  its  intrinsic  value.  Recollect  this  fact — you  can  never  have 
a  tight  roof,  no  matter  what  you  cover  it  with,  unless  you  use  well-seasoned 
sheathing  boards,  and  have  them  well  nailed. 

G. 

HOW  TO  BUILD  CONCRETE  HOUSES. 

The  following  excellent  practical  directions  are  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  D.  Red¬ 
mond,  of  Georgia,  editor  of  the  Southern  Cultivator  and  appeared  originally 
in  Life  Illustrated: 

1.  Location ,  etc.— Select,  if  possible,  a  dry  situation,  and  get  all  heavy  mate 
rials,  such  as  rock,  sand,  lime,  gravel,  etc.,  on  the  spot  as  early  in  the  season  as 
possible,  say  by  the  first  or  middle  of  May,  in  order  that  you  may  avail  yourself 
of  the  long,  warm  days  of  summer  for  successfully  carrying  on  your  operations. 

2.  Materials. — The  proper  materials  are  lime,  sand,  coarse  and  fine  gravel, 
large  and  small  rock,  and  water.  The  lime  may  be  from  any  good,  pure  lime¬ 
stone  that  will  slack  readily,  and  ‘'set"  or  harden  thoroughly  when  dry  ;*  the 


*  The  lime  used  by  us  is  of  a  peculiar  quality,  known  here  as  “hydraulic 


166 


Appendix. 


sand  should  be  sharp,  and  as  free  from  clay,  loam,  and  other  earthy  matter  ai 
possible ;  and  the  gravel  and  rock  may  be  of  any  size,  from  that  of  a  boy’s 
marble  up  to  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  square,  according  to  the  thickness  of 
your  walls. 

3.  Foundation. — Haying  fixed  on  your  plan,  lay  off  the  foundat  on,  and  dig 
a  trench  two  feet  wide  and  two  feet  deep,  the  area  or  full  size  of  your  outer 
wall.  With  a  heavy  piece  of  hard  wood,  squared  or  rounded  at  the  lower  end, 
pound  or  ram  down  the  earth  in  the  bottom  of  this  trench,  going  oyer  it  re¬ 
peatedly,  until  it  is  solid  and  compact.  A  layer  of  hydraulic  cement  mortar 
two  inches  thick,  spread  evenly  over  the  bottom  of  the  trenches  thus  compact¬ 
ed,  gives  yon  a  solid  foundation  to  start  on,  as  soon  as  it  “  sets”  or  becomes 
hard.  If  you  intend  carrying  up  inside  division  walls  of  concrete,  the  founda¬ 
tion  for  these  should  be  laid  in  the  same  way.  Good  hydraulic  cement  will 
take  at  least  three  parts  of  sharp  sand  ;  but  it  must  be  used  as  soon  as  mixed, 
or  it  will  “set"  and  become  useless. 

4.  Frame  and  Boxing.—  Cut  common  3x4  scantling  two  feet  longer  than  you 
wish  your  highest  story  to  be;  set  up  a  double  row,  with  the  lower  end  resting 
firmly  upon  the  edge  of  the  hardened  cement  in  the  bottom  of  the  trench ; 
range  them  true  and  “plumb”  them,  letting  them  stand  three  or  four  inches 
farther  apart  than  you  desire  your  wall  to  be  in  thickness;  then  nail  cleats 
across,  above  and  below,  to  keep  them  in  place,  adding  also  “stays”  or 
“  braces,”  driven  slantingly  into  the  ground  and  nailed  to  the  scantling  at  the 
upper  end.  Your  skeleton  or  frame-work  of  scantling  being  all  set  up  and 
“ stayed”  firm  and  “ plumb,”  proceed  to  arrange  your  “boxing”  for  holding 
the  concrete  and  keeping  the  walls  in  shape.  This  is  done  by  cutting  sound 
inch  or  inch-and-a-half  plank  of  ten  inches  or  a  foot  wide,  so  as  to  fit  inside  of 
the  two  rows  of  scantling  and  form  two  sides  of  a  box.  Movable  pieces  the 
thickness  of  the  wall  trre  dropped  in  between,  at  intervals,  to  keep  the  box  of 
the  proper  width,  and  wedges  driven  in  between  the  boxing  and  the  scantling, 
on  the  outside,  prevent  spreading  by  the  pressure  of  the  concrete.  Wooden 
“clamps”  to  slip  down,  here  and  there,  over  the  upper  edges  of  the  boxing, 
will  also  be  found  very  serviceable. 

5.  Mixing  Concrete,  Laying  up,  etc. — It  will  be  well  to  have  at  least  four 
large  mortar  beds,  one  on  each  side  of  the  house,  made  of  strong  plank,  in  the 
usual  way.  These  should  be  surrounded  by  casks  of  water  (oil  casks  cut  in 
two  are  excellent ,  piles  of  rock,  sand,  gravel,  etc. — the  lime,  of  course,  to  he 
kept  under  cover,  and  used  as  wanted.  Slack  up  your  lime  until  it  forms  a 
thin,  smooth,  creamy  mass,  then  add  four  or  five  parts  of  clean,  sharp  sand, 
stirring  and  mixing  constantly,  and  using  water  enough  to  bring  the  whole, 
when  thoroughly  mingled,  to  the  consistency  of  a  thick  batter.  Into  this  “  bat¬ 
ter”  mix  coarse  and  fine  gravel  (that  has  previously  been  screened)  until  the 
mass  is  thick  enough  to  be  lifted  on  a  common  shovel.  [The  proper  and 


lime” — not  the  cement,  which  is,  also,  often  called  “  hydraulic.”  It  may  be 
obtained  from  the  quarry  of  Eev.  C.  W.  Howard,  Kingston,  Cass  County,'  Ga, 
But  good  common  lime  will  answer,  where  the  “hydraulic”  can  not  be  had. 


Appendix 


167 


thorough  mixing  of  the  sand  with  the  lime,  and  the  gravel  with  the  mortal 
afterward,  is  very  important,  and  should  only  be  intrusted  to  your  most  careful 
hands.]  Having  one  or  two  “  beds”  full  of  this  mixture,  you  are  ready  to  begin 
your  wall.  Wheel  the  mortar  to  the  foundation  in  common  railroad  wheelbar- 
•ows,  letting  the  common  hands  shovel  it  into  the  bottom  of  the  trenches,  while 
the  superintendent  or  “boss”  workman  spreads  it  evenly  with  his  trowel 
When  the  bottom  layer  of  mortar,  three  inches  thick,  is  laid  in,  wheel  large 
and  sma  1  rock  (previously  sprinkled  with  water)  to  the  wall,  and  press  it  int* 
the  soft  mortar  at  every  available  point,  leaving  a  small  space  between  each 
piece  of  rock,  and  working  the  soft  mortar  against  the  plank  boxing,  to  pre- 
icrve  a  smooth  surface  on  the  wall.  When  you  can  press  no  more  rock  into 
.'he  mortar,  pour  another  layer  of  the  latter  over  and  through  the  rock,  then 
add  a  layer  of  rock,  as  before,  and  so  on,  until  your  boxing  all  round  is  full. 
Y ou  have  now  ten  i  nches  or  a  foot  of  wall,  all  around,  built ;  and  if  the  lime  is 
good  and  the  weather  dry,  it  will  be  hard  enough  in  twenty-four  hours  to  raise 
your  boxes  another  tier.  This  is  readily  done  by  knocking  out  the  wedges  be¬ 
tween  the  plank  and  ihe  scantling,  raising  up  the  plank  and  sustaining  it  in 
place  by  “  cleats”  nailed  on  the  scantling.  In  raising  the  boxing,  begin  at  the 
point  where  you  commenced  laying  up  the  day  previous,  as  that  portion  of  the 
wall  will,  of  course,  be  the  hardest.  It  is  not  necessary  to  raise  all  the  boxing 
at  once,  or  go  entirely  round  the  wall  in  a  day.  A  footor  a  yard  of  the  wall  can 
be  completed  at  a  time,  if  advisable ;  but  if  the  complete  round  can  be  made, 
so  much  the  better.  Planks  to  cover  up  with,  in  case  of  a  sudden  shower,  or 
when  a  storm  is  apprehended,  should  be  provided,  and  placed  within  reach. 

S.  General  Detail s,  Floors,  Windows,  Doors ,  etc. — We  prefer  a  cement  floor 
for  the  basement,  on  many  accounts;  but  those  who  desire  a  wooden  floor 
should  leave  air-holes  in  the  outer  walls,  under  the  lower  floor,  six  inches 
above  the  surface.  This  may  be  easily  done  by  inserting  wedge-shaped  blocks 
or  pins  through  the  wall,  to  be  knocked  out  afterward.  When  you  are  ready 
to  lay  the  fluors,  level  up  your  walls,  and  run  one  course  of  brick  all  around, 
the  thickness  of  the  wall,  for  the  ends  of  the  flooring-joists  to  rest  on— filling 
in  around  these  ends  with  concrete,  when  they  are  fixed  in  their  proper  places. 
The  door  and  window  frames  should  be  made  of  three-inch  yellow  pine,  the 
full  thickness  or  width  of  the  walls,  and  may  be  set  up  and  built  around,  like 
those  in  a  brick  house,  as  the  w'all  progresses,  k  piece  of  common  inch  plank, 
“cut  in”  all  around  them,  to  prevent  the  actual  contact  of  the  damp  morlar, 
will  keep  them,  in  a  great  measure,  from  warping.  Where  base-boards  are 
needed,  blocks  of  scantling  may  be  built  in  flush  with  the  inner  surface  of  the 
wall,  at  the  proper  distances  apart. 


H. 

PRACTICAL  HINTS  BY  A  BUILDER. 


1.  The  Roof. — No  roof  should  project  less  than  one  foot — it  may  project  aa 
much  as  you  like  up  to  two  feet. 


168 


Appendix. 


Too  often,  at  present,  in  the  commoner  kind  of  country  houses,  the  roof-board* 
are  cut  off  even  with  the  sides  and  ends  of  the  honse,  and  the  shingles  allowed 
to  project  only  half  an  inch  !  What  happens  ?  All  the  rain  that  falls  upon  it 
runs  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  house,  discoloring  the  paint  and  washing  it 
away. 

2.  Windows. — There  should  be  a  bold  projection  over  each  window,  instead 
of  the  single  inch  which  the  cap,  so  called,  is  now  generally  allowed  to  extend 
beyond  the  casing.  The  slight  projection  furnishes  no  protection  to  the  sash, 
which  is  continually  washed  by  the  rain,  and  prematurely  decays. 

The  casings  or  dressings  of  the  windows  are  generally  too  narrow.  They 
should  never  be  less  than  three  and  a  half  inches,  and  may  be  wider  if  you  like. 
Let  the  head  or  top  piece  be  an  inch  and  a  half  wider  than  the  sides.  One  and 
a  quarter  inches  is  the  proper  thickness  for  all  outside  casings.  For  caps,  one- 
and-three-fourth-inch  plank  (one-and-a-half-inch  will  do)  should  be  used. 
They  should  be  six  inches  wide.  Reduce  one  edge  to  the  thickness  of  an 
inch.  Nail  the  cap  upon  the  edge  of  the  top  casing,  and  against  the  frame  of 
the  house,  and  it  will  form  a  bold  and  efficient  projection. 

8.  Gutters. — Let  the  ends  of  the  rafters  come  out  flush  with  the  side  of  the 
frame.  To  these  and  to  the  plate  are  nailed  the  brackets,  cut  from  one-and-a- 
quarter-inch  stuff,  which  are  to  support  the  gutter.  The  brackets  should  pro¬ 
ject  one  foot,  and  be  lined  with  inch  boards  for  trimming.  The  outside  must 
be  covered  with  dressed  stuff  of  the  proper  style.  There  must  be  a  frieze  or 
margin,  running  the  entire  length  of  the  house,  under  the  gutter,  and  also  on 
the  gable.  It  may  vary  in  width,  on  different  houses,  from  ten  to  twenty 
inches _ A.  Blauvett. 


I. 

SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  COTTAGE. 

See  Figs.  20,  21,  22,  23. 

Size,  Height,  etc. — For  all  dimensions  and  the  general  arrangement,  reference 
is  to  be  had  to  the  plans  and  elevations  (pp.  59-61).  Cellar  to  be  5J 
feet  high  -  8  feet  below  ground  and  2}  above.  First  floor  to  be  8  feet  in 
height,  clear,  and  the  attic  7)  feet,  clear,  with  5)  feet  breast- work. 

Digging. — The  digging  includes  the  cellar,  trenches  for  the  foundations,  and 
a  water  cistern  5  feet  in  diameter  and  5  feet  deep. 

Stone  Work. — Trenches  to  be  filled  with  good  stone.  Sills  for  cellar  win¬ 
dows  to  be  blue  stone,  2  x  10  inches. 

Bbick  Woek.— Cellar  and  foundation  walls  to  be  8  inches  thick.  The  fire¬ 
places  and  the  top  of  the  chimney  above  the  roof  to  be  of  hard  brick, 
laid  up  in  good  sharp  sand  and  lime  mortar.  Walls  of  the  cistern  to  be 
4  inches  thick,  laid  in  cement,  the  sides  and  bottom  to  be  well  cemented. 

Plastering. — All  rooms,  landings,  and  closets  to  be  lathed,  scratch-coated, 
browned,  and  whitewashed. 

Timeee  — Sills  to  be  4  x  9  ;  first  tier  of  beams.  2x9;  posts,  4  x  8  ;  all  to  be  of 


Appendix 


169 


white  pine.  Enter-ties,  4x6;  second  tier  of  beams,  2x8;  filling  in, 
studs,  braces,  and  rafters,  8x4;  all  to  be  of  hemlock.  Cellar  beams,  II  x  4 
spruce  plank.  Beams  and  rafters  to  be  2  feet  from  centers ;  Btudding,  16 
inches  from  centers. 

Roofs.— To  be  lathed  with  II  x  2  spruce  strips,  and  covered  with  2  feet  cypress 
shingles,  laid  1\  inches  to  the  weather. 

Inclosing. — To  be  done  with  pine  boards  }  inch  thick  and  about  8  inches 
wide,  nailed  horizontally  to  studs,  with  II  inch  lap. 

Partitions.— All  partitions  to  be  set  with  2x4  hemlock  strips,  16  inches  from 
centers. 

Furring.—  Hemlock  furring  strips  to  be  used  between  the  beams. 

Floors.— These  are  to  be  laid  with  II  inch  mill-worked  spruce  plank. 

Stairs.— The  stairs  are  to  have  II  inch  pine  trees,  II  inch  strings,  and  1  inch 
risers,  with  plain,  small  balusters,  and  hand-rail  of  boxwood. 

Doors. — The  doors  for  the  first  floor  to  be  II  inch  shingle-faced  panel,  and 
those  of  the  attic  to  be  II  inch  battened ;  all  to  be  well  hung,  and  pro¬ 
vided  with  rim  locks,  except  the  closet  doors,  which  are  to  have  catches. 

Windows. — To  have  the  usual  II  inch  plank  frames,  II  inch  sashes  with  im¬ 
proved  catches,  and  to  be  glazed  with  plain  American  glass. 

Blinds.— All  the  windows  to  have  plain  Venetian  blinds 

Painting.— Two  coats  of  white  lead  or  zinc  paint  to  be  put  on  to  all  the  outside, 
and  inside  work  generally  painted. 

General.— Inside  doors  and  window  casings  to  be  4Hnches  wide,  with  back 
moldings  to  first  story.  Gutters  to  be  of  tin  (81  inch),  with  proper  lead¬ 
ers.  For  details  of  outside  comice,  trimmings,  porch,  etc.,  consult  • 
builder  or  architect. 


J. 

HOW  TO  BUILD  BALLOON  FRAMES. 

The  following  is  a  report  of  some  remarks  made  by  Mr.  Solon  Robinson  be¬ 
fore  the  Farmers’  Club  of  the  American  Institute,  and  first  published  in  the 
New  York  Tribune  of  January  18th,  1855: 

Mr.  Robinson  said :  At  our  last  meeting  I  made  some  remarks,  which  were 
followed  by  others,  upon  the  subject  of  “  Balloon  Frames”  of  dwellings  and 
other  public  buildings,  a  slight  sketch  of  which  I  published  in  The  Tribune 
not  deeming  it  important  to  enter  into  the  minutiae  of  hours  to  make  such 
buildings.  I  find  that  I  did  not  appreciate  the  importance  of  the  subject,  for 
I  have  received  a  score  of  letters  and  personal  inquiries  from  various  parts  of 
the  country,  showing  that  a  great  many  farmers  would  like  to  know  how  to 
build  a  farm-house  for  half  the  present  expense.  I  therefore  ask  the  indul¬ 
gence  of  the  Club,  while  I  start  a  balloon  from  the  foundation  and  finish  it  to 
the  roof.  I  would  saw  all  my  timber  for  a  frame-house,  or  ordinary  fVame 
outbuilding,  of  the  following  dimensions  :  Two  inches  by  eight ;  two  by  four ; 
two  by  one.  I  have,  however,  built  them,  when  I  lived  on  the  Grand  Prairie 

8 


170 


Appendix 


of  Indiana,  many  miles  from  saw-mills,  nearly  all  of  split  and  hewed  stuff, 
making  use  of  rails  or  round  poles,  reduced  to  straight  lines  an  1  even  thieknes* 
on  two  sides,  for  stud3  and  rafters.  But  sawed  stuff  is  much  the  easiest,  though 
In  a  limber  country  the  other  is  far  the  cheapest.  First,  level  your  foundation, 
and  lay  down  two  of  your  two-by-eight  pieces,  flatwise,  for  sidewalls.  Upon 
these  set  the  floor-sleepers,  on  edge,  thirty-two  inches  apart.  Fasten  one  at 
each  end,  and,  perhaps,  one  or  two  in  the  middle,  if  the  building  is  large, 
with  a  wooden  pin.  These  end-sleepers  are  the  end-sills.  Now  lay  the  floor, 
unless  you  design  to  have  one  that  would  be  likely  to  be  injured  by  the  weather 
before  you  get  the  roof  on.  It  is  a  great  saving,  though,  of  labor,  to  begin  at 
tho  bottom  of  a  house  and  build  up.  In  laying  the  floor  first,  you  have  no 
studs  to  cut  and  lit  around,  and  can  let  your  boards  run  out  over  the  ends, 
just  as  it  happens,  and  afterward  saw  them  off  smooth  by  the  sill.  Now  set  up 
a  corner  post,  which  is  nothing  but  one  of  the  two-by-four  studs,  fastening  the 
bottom  by  four  nails;  make  it  plumb,  and  stay  it  each  way.  Set  another  at 
the  other  corner,  and  then  mark  off  your  door  and  window  places,  and  set  up 
the  side  studs  and  put  in  the  frames.  Fill  up  with  studs  between,  sixteen 
inches  apart,  supporting  the  top  by  a  line  or  strip  of  board  from  corner  to  cor¬ 
ner,  or  stayed  studs  between.  Now  cover  that  side  with  rough  sheeting  boards, 
unless  you  intend  to  side-up  with  clap-boards  on  the  studs,  which  I  never 
would  do,  except  for  a  small,  common  building.  Hake  no  calculation  about 
the  top  of  your  studs;  wait  till  you  get  up  that  high.  Tou  may  use  them  of 
any  length,  with  broken  or  stub-shot  ends,  no  matter.  When  you  have  got 
this  side  boarded  as  high  as  you  can  reach,  proceed  to  set  up  another.  In  the 
mean  time,  other  workmen  can  be  lathing  the  first  side.  When  you  have  got 
the  sides  all  up,  fix  upon  the  height  of  your  upper  floor,  and  strike  a  line  upon 
the  studs  for  the  under  side  of  the  joist.  Cut  out  a  joist  four  inches  wide,  half¬ 
inch  deep,  and  nail  on  firmly  one  of  the  inch  strips.  Upon  these  strips  rest  the 
chamber  floor  joist.  Cut  out  a  joist  one  inch  deep,  in  the  lower  edge,  and 
lock  it  on  the  strip,  and  nail  each  joist  to  each  stud.  Now  lay  this  floor,  and 
go  on  to  build  the  upper  story,  as  you  did  the  lower  one ;  spliefng  on  and 
lengthening  out  studs  wherever  needed,  until  you  get  high  enough  for  the 
plate.  Splice  studs  or  joist  by  simply  butting  the  ends  together,  and  nailing 
strips  on  each  side.  Strike  a  line  and  saw  off  the  top  of  the  studs  even  upon 
each  side— not  the  ends— and  nail  on  one  of  the  inch  strips.  That  is  the 
plate.  Cut  the  ends  of  the  upper  joist  the  bevel  of  the  pitch  of  the  roof,  and 
nail  them  fast  to  the  plate,  placing  the  end  one3  inside  the  studs,  which  you. 
will  let  run  up  promiscuously,  to  be  cut  off  by  the  rafter.  Now  lay  the  garret- 
floor  by  all  means  before  you  put  on  the  roof,  and  you  will  find  that  you  have 
saved  fifty  per  cent,  of  hard  labor.  The  rafters,  if  supported  so  as  not  to  be 
over  ten  feet  long,  will  be  strong  enough  of  the  two-by-four  stuff.  Bevel  the 
ends  and  nail  fast  to  the  joist.  Then  there  is  no  strain  upon  the  sides  by  the 
weight  of  the  roof,  which  may  be  covered  with  shingles  or  other  materials— 
the  cheapest  being  composition  or  cement  roofs.  To  make  one  of  this  kind, 
take  soft,  spongy,  thick  paper,  and  tack  it  upon  the  boards  in  courses  like 
shingles.  Commenoe  at  the  top  with  hot  tar  and  saturate  the  paper,  upon 


Appendix 


171 


Which  Kill  evenly  fine  gravel,  pressing  it  in  while  hot— that  is,  while  tar  and 
gravel  are  both  hot.  One  coat  will  make  a  tight  roof ;  two  coats  will  make  it 
more  durable.  Put  up  your  partitions  of  stuff  one  by  four,  unless  where  you 
want  to  support  the  upper  joist — then  use  stuff  two  by  four,  with  strips  nailed 
on  top,  for  the  joist  to  rest  upon,  fastening  altogether  by  nails,  wherever  tim¬ 
bers  toneh.  Thus  you  will  have  a  frame  without  a  tenon,  or  mortice,  or  brace, 
and  yet  it  is  far  cheaper,  and  incalculably  stronger  when  finished,  than 
though  it  was  composed  of  timbers  ten  inches  square,  with  a  thousand  auger 
holes  and  a  hundred  days’  work  with  the  chisel  and  adze,  making  holes  and 
pins  to  fill  them. 

To  lay  out  and  frame  a  building  so  that  all  its  parts  will  come  together,  re¬ 
quires  the  skill  of  a  master  mechanic,  and  a  host  of  men,  and  a  deal  of  hard 
work  to  lift  the  great  sticks  of  timber  into  position.  To  erect  a  balloon-building 
requires  about  as  much  mechanical  skill  as  it  does  to  build  a  board  fence.  Any 
farmer  who  is  handy  with  the  saw,  iron  square,  and  hammer,  with  one  of  his 
boys  or  a  common  laborer  to  assist  him,  can  go  to  work  and  put  up  a  frame  for 
an  outbuilding,  and  finish  it  off  with  his  own  labor,  just  as  well  as  to  hire  a  car¬ 
penter  to  score  and  hew  great  oak  sticks,  and  fill  them  full  of  mortices,  all  by 
the  science  of  the  “  square  rule.”  It  is  a  waste  of  labor  that  we  should  all  lend 
our  aid  to  put  a  stop  to.  Besides,  it  will  enable  many  a  farmer  to  improve  his 
place  with  new  buildings,  who,  though  he  has  long  needed  them,  has  shud¬ 
dered  at  the  thought  of  cutting  down  half  of  the  best  trees  in  his  wood-lot,  and 
then  giving  half  a  year’s  work  to  hauling  it  home,  and  paying  for  what  I  do 
know  is  the  wholly  useless  labor  of  framing.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  balloon-frames,  Chicago  and  San  Francisco  could  never  have  arisen, 
as  they  did,  from  little  villages  to  great  cities  in  a  single  year.  It  is  not  alone 
city  buildings,  which  are  supported  by  one  another,  that  may  be  thus  erected, 
but  those  upon  the  open  prairie,  where  the  wind  has  a  sweep  from  Mackinaw 
to  the  Mississippi,  for  there  they  are  built,  and  stand  as  firm  as  any  of  the  old 
frames  of  New  England,  with  posts  and  beams  sixteen  inches  square.  These 
remarks  were  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  other  members  present,  who  tes¬ 
tified  to  having  adopted  the  mode  of  framing  referred  to  with  entire  success. 

K. 

CISTERNS. 

On  this  important  subject  we  can  not  do  better  than  copy  the  following  article 
from  the  44  Annual  Register  of  Rural  Affairs,”  for  1855 : 

44The  great  value  of  an  abundant  supply  of  water  to  houses  and  barns,  and 
which  may  be  easily  had  by  providing  capacious  cisterns,  renders  it  import¬ 
ant  that  the  cheapest,  best,  and  most  convenient  mode  of  construction  should 
be  adopted.  The  two  all-essential  requisites  for  underground  cisterns  are, 
good  hydraulic  lime  and  a  supply  of  clear,  pure  sand.  These  must  be  selected 
from  experience  or  trial,  or  by  choosing  such  as  have  already  proved  efficient 
Cor  this  purpose.  Good  hydraulic  cement  will,  in  the  course  of  a  few  months, 
become  as  hard  as  sandstone. 


172 


Appendix 


“  When  this  hardening  process  does  not  take  place,  it  must  be  attributed  to 
bad  materials,  or  to  intermixing  in  wrong  proportions.  On  the  latter  point, 
some  are  misled  by  adopting  the  practice  employed  in  mixing  common  lime 

mortar,  the  hardest  ma- 
Fig.  124.  ’ 

terial  resulting  in  this  case 

where  the  sand  constitutes 
about  five  sixths  of  the 
whole.  But  the  hardest 
water-lime  mortar  can  not 
be  made  if  the  sand  forms 
much  more  than  two 
thirds  of  the  whole. 

“A  very  common  and 
cheap  form  for  the  cistern 
is,  to  dig  a  round  hole  into 
the  ground  with  sloping 
sides,  somewhat  in  the 
form  of  a  narrow-bottom¬ 
ed  tub,  and  then  to  plaster 
immediately  upon  the 
earth  (fig.  124).  Unless  a 
slope  is  given  to  the  sides,  the  mortar  can  not  be  made  to  keep  its  place  while 
soft,  as  it  is  nearly  impossible  to  And  a  soil  dry  and  hard  enough  to  retain  the 
plastering  by  simple  adhesion.  The  top  of  this  kind  of  cistern  must  therefore 
be  wide,  and  consequently  difficult  to  cover  very  large  ones  effectually  and  sub- 
pjg  stantiaily.  The  covering 

is  usually  made  of  stiff  and 
durable  plank,  supported, 
if  necessary,  by  strong 
scantling,  and  over  this  is 
placed  about  one  foot  of 
earth  to  exclude  complete¬ 
ly  the  frost.  A  hole  with 
a  curb  about  eighteen 
inches  by  two  feet,  must 
be  left  in  this  covering,  for 
the  admission  of  the  water 
pipe  or  pump,  and  to  al¬ 
low  a  man  to  enter  for 
cleaning  out  the  cistern 
when  necessary.  In  cold 
or  freezing  weather,  it  is 
indispensably  requisite  to 
have  this  hole  stopped,  to 
exclude  frost,  which  would  otherwise  enter  the  wet  cement  or  walls,  and  pro¬ 
duce  cracking  or  leakage— a  frequent  cause  of  the  failure  of  water-lime  cisterns 
“  Tlrs  is  the  cheapest  form  of  such  reservoirs,  but  a  better,  more  capacious- 


A  PPBNT>TJ? . 


f  7S 


and  more  durable  mode,  Is  to  dig  the  hole  with  perpendicular  sides  in  the  form 
of  a  barrel,  and  build  the  walls  with  stone  or  brick,  to  receive  the  plastering 
(fig.  125).  In  consequence  of  its  circular  form,  operating  like  an  arch,  these 
walls  will  not  be  in  danger  of  falling  if  not  more  than  half  the  ordinary  thick¬ 
ness  of  similar  walls.  For  large  cisterns  they  should  be  thicker  than  for  small 
ones.  The  walls  should  be  built  perpendicular  until  about  half  way  up,  when 
each  successive  layer  should  be  contracted  so  as  to  bring  them  nearer  together, 
in  the  form  of  an  arch,  reducing  the  size  of  the  opening  at  the  top,  and  ren¬ 
dering  a  smaller  covering  necessary.  If  the  subsoil  is  always  dry  or  never 
soaked  or  flooded  with  water,  the  walls  may  be  laid  in  common  lime  mortar, 
and  afterward  plastered  on  the  inner  surface  with  the  cement.  Butin  wet  sub¬ 
soils,  the  whole  wall  should  be  laid  in  water  lime.  If  the  bottom  is  hard  earth 
or  compact  gravel,  a  coating  of  an  inch  or  two  may  be  spread  immediately 
upon  the  earth  bottom  ;  but  in  other  instances,  the  bottom  should  be  first  laid 
with  flat  stone,  or  paved  with  round  ones,  the  cement  spread  upon  these. 

“  The  plastering  upon  the  sloping  earth-walls,  as  first  described  (fig.  124), 
should  never  be  less  than  an  inch  thick,  and  if  the  earth  is  soft  it  should  be 
more.  On  the  stone  or  hard  brick  walls  (fig.  125),  half  an  inch  will  be  thick 
enough.  Cisterns  can  rarely,  if  ever,  oe  made  free  from  leaking,  without  giv¬ 
ing  them  at  least  two  successive  coats— and  three  will  be  safer ;  the  previous 
coat  in  each  instance  being  allowed  to  become  dry  and  hard.” 

A  filtering  cistern  may  be  made  as  follows : 

“  Make  a  partition  (a)  in  the  cistern,  dividing  it  into  two  portions.  This 
partition  is  pierced  at  the 
bottom  with  several  aper¬ 
tures.  A  low  wall  (6)  is 
built  up  on  each  side  the 
partition,  and  a  few  inches 
above  the  top  of  the  aper¬ 
tures. 

“  The  open  space  between 
these  low  walls  (c)  is  filled 
with  charcoal  broken  fine, 
and  with  gravel— the  latter 
being  on  top.  The  water  is 
conducted  into  one  apartment,  and  may  always  be  drawn  up  bright  and  clear 
from  the  other.  The  aeoompanying  section,  to  which  the  letters  have  refer¬ 
ence,  may  help  to  make  this  account  more  intelligible.”* 

Another  plan  is  thus  described  by  the  same  writer : 

“A  cask  holding  perhaps  a  hundred  gallons  is  placed  by  the  side  of  the 
larger  cistern,  and  quite  near  the  surface  of  the  ground.  An  aperture  in  its 
bottom,  over  which  is  secured  a  large  sponge,  is  connected  by  a  good-sized 
pipe  of  wood  or  clay  with  the  main  tank.  A  third  part  of  the  cask  is  now 
filled  with  the  charcoal  and  gravel ;  the  conductor  from  the  house  is  led  into 
It,  and  the  thing  is  complete. 


Fig.  126. 


Village  and  Farm  Cottages. 


174 


Appendix. 


“  This  mode  is  not  only  as  easy  and  as  cheap  as  the  other,  but  has  this  great 
advantage,  that  the  fllterer  can  be  often  and  readily  cleaned,  while  in  the 
other  case,  it  is  necessary  to  remove  all  the  water  and  to  go  down  deep  in 
order  to  accomplish  the  work.” 


L. 

A  CHEAP  ICE-ROOM. 

A  farmer  communicates  the  following  in  Life  Illustrated  : 

“  I  send  you  my  experience.  I  partitioned  off  the  northeast  comer  of  my 
wood-house,  which  opens  to  the  west,  and  is  25  feet  wide.  The  ice-room  ia 
about  nine  feet  square ;  is  clap-boarded  on  the  studs  on  the  north  and  east, 
and  lined  on  the  inside,  leaving  the  four-inch  space  between  empty.  On  the 
south  is  an  inch-board  partition,  just  tight  enough  to  hold  saw-dust.  On  the 
west  I  slip  in  boards  like  bars,  any  height  I  wish  to  pile  my  ice,  and  leave  the 
upper  part  open,  just  as  is  convenient.  This  is  my  house. 

“  Into  it,  on  the  ground,  I  put  from  six  to  ten  inches  of  saw-dust,  then  put 
hi  my  ice  one  foot  from  the  partition  on  every  side,  packing  it  in  as  closely  as 
I  can,  and  in  as  large  blocks  as  I  can  conveniently  handle.  I  then  fill  the 
spaces  next  the  partitions  with  saw-dust,  and  a  good  depth  (say  one  foot)  over 
the  top,  and  it  is  done  for  the  year. 

“  I  have  practiced  in  this  way  two  years  past,  and  had  all  I  wanted  for  dairy 
and  other  uses,  and  to  give  to  my  neighbors. 

“  The  whole  cost  of  making  is  300  feet  of  hemlock  boards,  a  few  nails,  and  a 
half  a  day’s  work.  Neighbor  farmers,  try  it.  Almost  any  other  location  is  aa 
good  aa  this.” 


INDEX 


A.  Pash 

Ancient  Log  Cabin . .  10 

Architecture,  Fundamental  Prin¬ 
ciples  of .  14 

“  Style  of. .  25 

Architectural  Finery .  6T 

Additions,  Plans  for .  52 

Attic  Rooms .  67 

Ash  and  Smoke  House .  146 

Apiary .  150 

B. 

Building  for  Show .  60 

Barns .  129 

Bee  House .  150 

C. 

Concrete .  31 

Chimneys .  33 

Cottages  of  One  Story  Defined . . .  45 

“  Story-and  a-Half  “  ...  57 

Cottage,  Southern .  49 

“  Plan  of  Cheap .  51 

“  “  Small .  57 

“  An  Italian  . . . .  58 

“  English  Plan .  61 

“  Suburban  ...  — .  62 

“  A  Gothic  .  . 64,  78 

“  A  Symmetrical .  68 

“  A  Semi-Southern.  .  ..  71 

“  “  Fruitland”  .  79 

“  Square .  86 

“  Swiss .  95 

Country  House,  Stone..  .  89 

“  ’  Church .  153 

Circular  House . . .  92 

“  Barn  .  136 

Church,  Country  .  153 

D. 

Details,  Miscellaneous .  32 

Drainage .  42 

Doors .  . ...  62 

E. 

Errors  and  Absurdities . .  48 

English  Cottage  Plan .  61 


PiQ» 

Fundamental  Principles .  14 

Farm  House,  Model .  100 

“  “  Plan  of .  102 

“  Houses,  Remarks  on .  99 

G. 

Garden  House .  169 

H. 

House,  Origin  of .  9 

“  Meaning  of .  12 

“  Extempore .  56 

House-Building .  14 

Hexagon  Plan .  47 

I. 

Ice-House  .  14T 

L. 

Log  Cabin .  46 

M. 

Materials .  28 

O. 

Octagon  Plan,  S.  H.  Mann’s .  83 

“  Villa .  125 

“  Barns .  182 

“  Poultry  House .  148 

“  Piggery .  145 

P. 

Plan,  Adoption  of .  19 

Painting . 40,  65 

Paper,  Wall .  41 

Plans  for  Three  Rooms ....  .  48 

Parsonage .  75 

Play  House .  151 

R. 

Rooms,  Arrangement  of .  22 

Roofing .  42 

Rough-Cast .  49 


176 


Index 


l’AGH 

Rats  in  Cellars .  66 

Round  House .  92 

S. 

Site,  Choice  of .  16 

Style  of  Architecture .  25 

Stucco .  42 

Southern  Cottage .  49 

“  House . 79,83 

“  Villa .  118 

Stone  Country  House . .  89 

Swiss  Cottage .  95 

Side- Hill  Barn .  138 

Stables .  141 

Smoke  House  and  Ashery . 146 

Speaking  Tubes .  61 

School  House .  166 


T. 

Pag* 

Trees,  etc. . 

V. 

Ventilation . 

Verandas . 

Villa,  What  is  it? . 

“  Small  Italian . 

“  Brick . 

“  Gothic . 

“  Picturesque . 

“  Southern . 

“  Octagon . 

. 86,  67 

.  51 

.  105 

.  106 

. 114 

W. 

Warming . 

Water  Closets . 

